How to avoid becoming a victim of credit card skimmers like those found at CNY Walmarts

Experts say there are ways consumers can protect themselves from becoming victims of credit card skimming scams. (File photo) Syracuse, N.Y. -- Thieves are using increasingly sophisticated technology

Experts say there are ways consumers can protect themselves from becoming victims of credit card skimming scams. (File photo)

Syracuse, N.Y. -- Thieves are using increasingly sophisticated technology to steal your credit card information and then charge up a storm at your expense or empty your bank account outright.

Police reported this week that credit card skimming devices were found at the checkouts at Walmarts in East Syracuse, Camillus, Auburn and Fulton/Granby. Investigators are seeking the public’s help in identifying three people suspected of installing the illegal devices.

There are ways to protect yourself from skimmers (see below). But first, here’s a rundown on just what skimmers do.

Skimmers are hard-to-spot devices that thieves place over or inside card reading machines at legitimate retailers to directly copy card and PIN information. They then use the stolen data to make fraudulent purchases or, in the case of debit cards, clean out a victim’s bank account.

Sometimes, the scammers make a copy of a victim’s credit card to make illicit purchases at stores. But they can just as easily use the stolen credit card information to make “card-not-present” purchases online or over the phone.

Thieves often install the skimmers on ATMs and the card readers at gas station pumps, but they sometimes also attach them to card readers at retailers like Walmart.

Credit cards with chips installed in them are supposed to be more secure. But they often also have the magnetic strips that skimmers read, so they are not immune from data thieves.

According to the FBI, skimming costs financial institutions and consumers more than $1 billion each year.

Here’s how consumer protection experts say you can avoid becoming a victim of card skimmers:

Federal law protects consumers from liability for more than $50 in charges that result from lost or stolen card information. And many credit card companies have a zero-liability policy, meaning a user is not financially liable for any illegal credit card charges. But you will have to report the fraud to your bank to get the charges removed from your account.

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How to avoid becoming a victim of credit card skimmers like those found at CNY Walmarts