One place we indirectly use a CC for is gas purchases. Too many CC readers are being placed on gas pumps, to steal your information. .........
On this topic, surreptitious skimmers or card readers can be a problem. A little knowledge goes a long way in protecting yourself from this scam.
1.
The type of card reader installed on the pump is important. The old type that simply requires that the card be swiped (or inserted and immediately withdrawn) is the least secure. That type of reader is only capturing the information on the magnetic strip and it’s easy for a criminal to simply piggy-back another reader in there to capture the information off the magnetic strip.
The card readers that require the card to stay in place while the card is authenticated, are much more secure. (Chip reader). That system is a one-time, encrypted authorization for that one transaction.
Unfortunately, there are so many card readers incorporated into gas pumps that those old-style readers were allowed to remain in use. It would be prohibitively expensive to replace tens of thousands of gas pump card readers across the U.S.A. So that old style will be around for a while.
If you have a choice, pick a gas pump that uses the newer chip reader method and not the older card swipe method.
2.
Look at the card reader. Does it look like it was originally part of the card reader system, or does it look like it was added on? A lot of the skimmers are simply external readers installed on top of the legitimate card reader. Is the pump panel securely locked? Some companies will even put tape on the doors so that you can see if it’s been tampered with.
3.
Don’t go to that one pump located waaaaaay out from the store. Those are the ones the criminals like to target. Pick a pump that is in full view of the clerk or surveillance cameras. If a criminal is going to put a second card reader on a pump, he doesn’t want to be seen doing that. Plus, he needs to later retrieve the stolen data by recovering the device or getting close to it and remotely accessing the data. So, they like those lonely pumps far away from other eyes.
And this is one of the many places where a credit card beats a debit card for security. Even if someone captures your credit card information, you will not be liable for the fraudulent changes. I would rather have one credit card compromised than a checking account drained.
AND the liability for the fruad was to be shifted to the retailers that failed to install the new chip reader equipment by April of 2021 but there are a LOT of the old style readers still in use.
