OHTA.ca

I've had my card (with the chip) compromised for the second time in as many months, and an attempt to take out a larger sum of money was made this time in Brampton.

I've been very careful with my card, and generally have a very good handle on where I use it. There are two consistent places I've used both cards that were compromised, one of them being the Walmart. As it turns out, a colleague of mine just told me every time his card has been compromised, it's been at that same Walmart (he never uses his card and felt, if anywhere, Walmart was safe), and the attempts to take out money were also in Brampton.

However, the other place I used my card they took my card from me to swipe it on their end. The card never left my sight, but normally I swipe the card. This machine was a no name machine.

I typically use my card at gas station PUMPS ONLY, groceries, and when making bigger purchases like I did at Walmart last week. I was told that gas pumps cannot be tampered with, and I haven't used the same grocery store since the last compromise (fed up with No Frills and it's insane crowds). Of course, this does not eliminate that it still could've been skimmed coincidentially at different places, but I remember being cautious when the cashier took my card to swipe it himself, and I'm finding it odd that every time my colleague has used the same Walmart I did, we've both experienced skimming.

Since the last compromise two months ago, I have really limited its use and keep a record of where it's been used. This is why I am cautiously confident that I can narrow down where it would've had the chance to be compromised.

Does anyone here know about the technology behind skimming? I'm actually putting my card away for good now, and working from a budget the old-fashioned way. It's a little inconvenient, but then again so is waiting 3-4 weeks for your money to be reimbursed, being stranded on a trip with a compromised debit as your only source for cash, and overspending like we typically do with debit.

If this is too off topic even for the general talk board, my apologies to you guys. I figured that we've got some techie-inclined people on here, some involved in law enforcement, and anyone would probably know more than me. I am utterly naive on this topic.

TIA

Just so you know gas pumps can and have been tampered with, including fake PIN pads.

Thanks. I thought this would've generated more hits and comments. Perhaps not as many people as I thought are victims to this skimming. My account was breeched this weekend - again (twice in less than a week) and I haven't even used it. Again, no money taken out. I went to use it on Sunday and I was blocked. I had to go into the bank again to get another PIN and this time made it an eight digit.

I'll have to tell my bank's security department not to tell it's clients that gas pumps are safe. Nowhere is safe. It's back to lining up every payday to withdraw money for the week for me.

A couple of years ago, one of my wife's friends had her debit card information skimmed from a gas pump. Windsor Police told her that this is the most common place for skimming to occur, and said they'd never use debit at a gas station, only cash or credit.

Most bank ATMs have that plastic tongue thingy that is specifically designed to stop skimming. Not sure how it works, but apparently it does the job...

The only places I use debit are at the bank or a grocery store... and specific ones only. Everywhere else, it's cash or credit... or my Tim Card.