Credit card skimmer thefts at Wal-Mart could've been easily avoided

Updated
Credit-Card Skimmer Thefts at Wal-Mart Could've Been Easily Avoided
Credit-Card Skimmer Thefts at Wal-Mart Could've Been Easily Avoided

Electronic devices that steal credit card data were found at Wal-Mart self check-out stations in Fort Wright, Kentucky, and Fredericksburg, Virginia.

"They installed a skimmer, which covered a credit card reader at this self-serve checkout, on May 11. It wasn't found until a week later," a WLEX reporter said.

SEE ALSO: There may be a financial downside to loving your job

A local Virginia outlet reports the skimming device there was spotted after almost 40 customers noticed large ATM withdrawals were made without their knowledge.

Credit card skimmers can be relatively easy to install, according to cybersecurity expert Brian Krebs.
In a post on his website, Krebs says the exact devices used in the Walmart incidents overlayed the check-out terminals and were able to access not only the customers' credit card information, but also their PIN numbers.

But a skimmer can only get that sensitive information if customers swipes their credit card.
Credit card fraud was one of the main reasons banks began distributing chip-enabled cards — also known as EMV cards — to customers in 2015.

Learn more about smart chip credit cards:



Despite a 2015 deadline that switched some fraud liability from banks to businesses, CreditCards.com says about 30 percent of Americans still don't use or don't know if they have chip-enabled cards.


As of Friday, there are no reports that police have found the people responsible for the Walmart incidents.

Advertisement