By Gabe Panini
The Holiday season is a time of spending, and it is also a time of year that many shoppers fall victim to credit card identity theft.
Whether you are at an ATM or shopping in store or online, the possibility of having your credit card stolen and used is there.
The popular way for crooks to steal your identity is Credit/Debit Card Cloning also known as “Skimming,” these thieves can steal your credit card without having to physically take it. You could still have your card in your wallet and they can use it by cloning it.
Credit card cloning is a technique where someone gets your credit card details by having you swipe your card in a scanning device and then they immediately swipe a bogus card that copies your credit card info and is ready for use at any store or ATM.
Many times these cloning’s occur at places such as swap meets, gas stations and restaurants places where a crooked employee can sneak and use a portable reading device and they can scan your card and store your info and quickly after you pay for your item or meal grab a blank credit card and copy the stored code onto that blank card.
The best way to prevent this is to make sure that you are suspicious of anyone using a portable reading device, try to pay in cash, if you think you might have been a victim save your receipt and check your online account to see of any suspicious activity and purchases on your bank account.
Always be cautious and ask questions with those who are working there, and try to pay in cash when you are at swap meets and other places that are hotbeds for cloning.