Continue reading to learn how cybercriminals can steal your credit how to build phone number list card information, what to do if someone fraudulently uses your card and how to keep it safe.
How cybercriminals can steal credit card information
Cybercriminals can steal your credit card information in a variety of ways, including credit card skimming and shimming, shoulder surfing, RFID readers and phishing attacks.
Credit card skimming and shimming
A cybercriminal can steal your credit card information through skimming or shimming. Credit card skimming occurs when you unknowingly insert your card into a credit card skimmer, which is a device attached to an actual card reader that steals your information. For example, when you pay at a non-bank ATM or gas station fuel pump, you may insert your card into a skimmer without realizing it, allowing a cybercriminal to capture your card’s in
formation and commit fraud.
In contrast, credit card shimmers are small devices placed inside card readers. These are difficult to detect because they are thinner and more hidden. Shimmers scan the chip on your card rather than the magnetic stripe, unlike skimmers. Even though skimming and shimming use slightly different tactics, both aim to steal your credit card information so cybercriminals can commit fraud.
Shoulder surfing
Your credit card information can be stolen through shoulder surfing, which occurs when a cybercriminal watches you closely enough to see your screen or the information you type. This is why many PIN pads at stores have protective shields to block the buttons you press from view. If someone successfully shoulder surfs, they may glimpse your credit card itself and/or the PIN you enter. With this information, shoulder surfers can commit credit card fraud and potentially steal your money.
