Over recent years, South Africans have seen a rise in card scams which often result in empty bank accounts and unwanted debt, reports Cape {town} Etc.
Card skimming refers to instances wherein criminals use devices to capture and steal bank card information when a card is swiped to make a payment. Card skimming devices are often placed on top of the actual card reader, which allows fraudsters to duplicate the card information.
Card numbers, expiration dates as well as the name of the card holder is copied by the skimming machines and the information is then used to make a counterfeit card which allows for fraudulent transactions.
African Bank has shared tips to avoid becoming a victim of card skimming.
The bank has advised card users to avoid sharing card or pin information with anyone at the ATM, avoid accepting assistance from someone while at an ATM and being vigilant of surroundings when making a withdrawal.
Other tips include hiding one’s pin number while entering it, avoiding ATMs which appear to have been tampered with and using cash where possible.
Most importantly however, the Bank has urged individuals to avoid sharing personal information with anyone over the phone or on the internet.
MyBroadBand has reported that South Africans have lost a total of R22 million to counterfeit card fraud in 2023.
Contactless payments however have decreased the risk of card skimming. Yet, card skimming remains prevalent at ATMs specifically because physical card insertion is required to draw cash at most facilities in South Africa.
Also read:
Motorists can no longer swipe cards at South African toll gates
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