Watch Out For ATM Skimming

Tips to Stay Safe

Here are some tips to keep in mind next time you go to withdraw cash:

• Be picky about what ATMs you use. "Don't go up to an ATM in a dark place," Krebs said. "Find one that's in a well-lit area, publicly visible and not tucked away somewhere."

• Trust your instincts. If something doesn't look right or feel right, move on to the next ATM. "Victims have said that they had a feeling when they were using the machines that something wasn't right," said Javelin's Vamosi.

• As you key in your PIN, cover the keyboard with the other hand to block anyone or a camera from seeing.

• Don't use ATMs with unusual signage or instructions, such as a command to enter your PIN twice to complete a transaction.

• Use ATMs with which you're familiar. If you travel, stick to ATMs at a bank branch. "Using a stand-alone ATM is like playing Russian roulette, especially in major metropolitan cities," said Robert Siciliano, a McAfee consultant and founder of IDTheftSecurity.com.

So how can you tell if an ATM has been altered with a skimming device or camera?

A lot of skimming devices are "stuck onto the machine or nearby with Velcro or two-sided tape," Siciliano said.

Keypads that aren't concave, for example, could have overlays that flatten or pull the surface of the keys out. A card-reader slot might have a perfectly molded attachment over it that pops off. Some skimmers are custom-made with matching molding and a color that corresponds to a targeted ATM.

"Consumers should stay away from ATMs that appear to have been altered," said Malcolm Wiley, a spokesman for the U.S. Secret Service. "If anything on the front of the machine looks crooked, loose or damaged, it could be a sign that someone has attached a skimming device or a camera."

Be careful, too, of bank-card skimmers attached to the pumps at gasoline stations.

Last summer, law-enforcement officials in Denver, Los Angeles, Dallas and Florida arrested suspects who allegedly stole debit- and credit-card information by placing small Bluetooth-enabled electronic devices inside the pump handles, which are locked.

Thieves then didn't have to return to the scene of the crime to unload the information. It was all available to them on their laptops or through text messages -- at least until the batteries on the devices died.

"These new skimming devices are better and getting harder and harder to detect,"