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Card scammers steal your money
The term skimming is derived from “to skim”, or “to siphon off”.
It is used to describe the manipulation of card-based machines (ATMs, ticket machines and payment terminals in shops, fillings stations, restaurants, etc.). The perpetrators use special equipment on or in the machines, which copies the data on the account, debit or credit card’s magnetic strip, and discloses the PIN. The perpetrators are frequently part of organised gangs.
In Switzerland, it is not possible to withdraw cash with Maestro cards and PostFinance Card Direct without the forgery-proof chip. However, in various countries outside Europe the magnetic strip data and PIN code alone are sufficient for withdrawing money. It is for this reason that money is always withdrawn abroad when skimming. Most victims do not notice that anything is amiss until they check their account balances.
Just a few preventative measures can help you protect yourself from skimming. Find out more about this in Protection from Skimming.
It is used to describe the manipulation of card-based machines (ATMs, ticket machines and payment terminals in shops, fillings stations, restaurants, etc.). The perpetrators use special equipment on or in the machines, which copies the data on the account, debit or credit card’s magnetic strip, and discloses the PIN. The perpetrators are frequently part of organised gangs.
In Switzerland, it is not possible to withdraw cash with Maestro cards and PostFinance Card Direct without the forgery-proof chip. However, in various countries outside Europe the magnetic strip data and PIN code alone are sufficient for withdrawing money. It is for this reason that money is always withdrawn abroad when skimming. Most victims do not notice that anything is amiss until they check their account balances.
Just a few preventative measures can help you protect yourself from skimming. Find out more about this in Protection from Skimming.
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