Card skimming hits Gympie | Gympie News | Local News in Gympie

Skimming devices can be detected.

Renee Pilcher

THE Commonwealth Bank has confirmed that a skimming device was placed on the Commonwealth Bank Automatic Teller Machine (ATM) at Centro Gympie Shopping Centre.

Commonwealth Bank media manager Steve Patten told The Gympie Times that the device was discovered and removed on December 9, but no customers’ details had been compromised.

He added it was important for people to be very wary and to make a habit of covering the input of your pin number with your spare hand.

“We encourage people to be very careful,” Mr Patten said. “Be mindful that it is personal information.”

Mr Patten said the bank would reimburse funds that had been siphoned off by skimming devices.

Police are warning that card skimming activities continue to be a problem in South East Queensland with the State Crime Operations Command, Fraud and Corporate Crimes Group investigating the location of a skimming device on an ATM at Clayfield on December 27.

“This particular skimmer was located on an ATM that was fitted with an anti-skimming device mechanism,” said Detective Superintendent Brian Hay.

Skimming is the process of using an electronic device to “skim” the person’s details off the bank card.

The device is usually mounted to the outside of the ATM at the card entry point and generally attached by double sided sticky tape.

This means ATM users feeling the card entry point may well identify the presence of a skimmer.

To capture pin numbers, a false panel is attached to the top of the ATM device which secretes a mobile phone camera and a small pin hole is drilled to allow filming of the victim entering their pin.

Using the spare hand to cover the hand entering the pin number can prevent the pin capture.

Police also urge the public to regularly check their bank statements and report any suspicious activity to the police.

Anyone with information which could assist police with their investigations should contact Crime Stoppers anonymously via 1800 333 000 or Gympie police on 5480 1111.

Look for a change in appearance of the ATM - look closely at the card entry point

Feel the card entry point and ensure firmness and no devices or wires attached underneath

Look for false panels that sit above the pin pad

Ensure the pin pad is firm and not a false overlay pad

Be wary of devices mounted to the wall beside the machine such “new brochure boxes”.

Look for people loitering around the ATM.