Debit Card Scam: 5 Seconds for Massive Fraud

FREDERICKSBURG, VA — Residents of this riverfront city are calling their bank this weekend after local police announced a large debit card breach at the popular local Walmart.

Customers have filed dozens of reports of fraudulent cards used at ATM machines to withdraw hundreds of dollars at a time.

Between March and April, card information appears to have been plucked from unsuspecting shoppers through a debit and credit card skimmer placed on top of at least one cash register's card machine.

A video posted on YouTube recently, and shared by Fredericksburg Police, shows stores like Walmart are facing a savvy — and swift — skimming device that looks identical to the routine point-of-sale card readers and can be installed in less than five seconds.

The video was posted by Harry Williby

Investigators are still working to determine which machines at the Walmart store were compromised. In a statement to Patch, Walmart spokesperson Deisha Barnett said the large retailer took action the minute it learned of the fraud.

"We are working with law enforcement authorities to investigate this activity and are taking additional steps to help ensure that our customers’ transactions are safe, including increasing store inspections," Barnett said.

Skimming cons aren't unusual. ATM and pay-at-the-pump users are routinely reminded to alert authorities if a card reader looks suspicious or shows signs of being tampered with.

Here are a few important tips from PC Magazine:

Shake Everything: Even if you can't see any visual differences, push at everything. Credit card readers have more variation, but still: Pull at protruding parts like the card reader. See if the keyboard is securely attached and just one piece.

Use the Chip: When you use your EMV chip, the card is authorized on the device and your personal information is never transmitted. While cracking EMV readers is possible, it's much harder than magstripe skimming.

Apple Pay: If the credit card terminal accepts NFC transactions, consider using Apple Pay,Samsung Pay, or Android Pay. These services tokenize your credit card information, so your personal information is never exposed.

See more tips at PC Mag.