Debit Card Skimming

JakeYYZ · Post by **JakeYYZ** » Fri Mar 23, 2007 10:26 am

It's happened three times to me in the past year. First time the nogoodnic’s made an ‘empty envelope’ deposit, and a 1200 withdrawal. A cop phoned me and told me to report to my branch. From that point I stopped using my card for gas.
Second time, two months ago, the ATM machine told me to see my branch. Yesterday it happened again!
The Bank tells you nothing. No details. It could've been skimmed anywhere from up to 6 months ago is all I was told. It's a TD card. Has anyone else had the same problem?

trey kule · Post by **trey kule** » Fri Mar 23, 2007 11:22 am

Nope...your card has worked just fine every time I have used it.

Snowgoose · Post by **Snowgoose** » Fri Mar 23, 2007 11:34 am

trey kule wrote:Nope...your card has worked just fine every time I have used it.

Zinnng!

Jake, use your credit card. It's safer. The CC companies are easier to deal with when you get scammed. Plus scammers are less likely to hit them. I heard gas stations and white label bank machines are bad news for debit cards.

If you are afraid about debt, treat your credit card like cash. Everytime you spend go home and transfer that amount to your credit card ro a bank account to pay it off at the end of the month.

Doc · Post by **Doc** » Fri Mar 23, 2007 11:55 am

Gave my daughter one of the "preload" Mastercards. Limits how much you can loose.

SYT_YYZ · Post by **SYT_YYZ** » Fri Mar 23, 2007 8:21 pm

word on the street is that esso is a major culprit....

I heard this from a cop actually.. and the story is..

many of the esso machines all have one key. that way the repair /maintenance guys can easily go from machine to machine. a number of these maintenance workers are from the middle east (have immigrated here and have family at home).. often crime groups (tamil tiger) will blackmail these men, have them either copy the keys / insert magnetic readers and threaten to hurt their family back home if they go to the police or refuse. They also commonly target gas station owners.. hijacking their debit machines with bar with debit card copiers...

apparently there are ways to tell if a machine has been tampered with.. but i cant recall.. im sure you can find it on the net..

i know this isnt what you were talking about jakeyyz, but thought it was somewhat relevant..

I also had a friend of mine have happen what you were mentioning, but it was with cibc. they never even noticed, He saw the account and told them.. he had a 400 daily withdrawl limit..so they guy couldnt get all the money he wanted from the transaction... they initally tried to put in 1200... he was surprised to see his account at 800 .. they transaction happened at the cibc at jane and lawrence .. an area he hasnt really ever been to... go figured...

looproll · Post by **looproll** » Fri Mar 23, 2007 9:09 pm

Wow, sounds like this is a common problem. Any more stories?

Edo · Post by **Edo** » Sat Mar 24, 2007 8:13 pm

My apartment building had a crime free seminar at the xmas party and the cops said the scamming devices are small enough to fit in the palm of you hand, one swipe and they get the credit card info. Never give the server you card to swipe go to the til and watch.

As for debit
They said that if you ever lose sight of the card during a purchase enter a random pin number, them if the the purchase is rejected, just re-do it.

If the purchase goes through then its a scam, if you hadn't entered the wrong pin they would now have the card info and the pin. Whatever you bought is just the cost of them getting you info - enjoy the free pack of smokes sucker and call the cops.

Apollo · Post by **Apollo** » Sun Mar 25, 2007 1:17 pm

Just curious... but why would the LTTE be targetting middle-easterners in Canada? Seems pretty far-fetched.

AEROMONKEY · Post by **AEROMONKEY** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 11:15 am

The famouse players theater here in thunder bay had someone put skimmers on the self pay machines...apparently alot of people were out money and the funny thing is that the money was withdrawn from Montreal!