Listen the 1st Monday of each month at 11:10am to KFGO 790 AM or 94.1 FM for “Fargo’s Fraud Squad” where a Fargo Police Department Detective will warn you of the latest schemes and scams to watch out for!
Skimming = Putting a device right over the credit card slot that looks like a normal part of the
machine. It is designed to record information like your account number and expiration date
from the magnetic strip on the back of the card.
o If the machine looks tampered with or altered don’t use that machine and let the
retailer or banking establishment know right away.
o Protect your pin- most of the credit card skimmers don’t have on-board cameras but
protect your pin number (hidden cameras that could be installed nearby).
Also, be suspicious of people lingering around the ATM inappropriately.
o Watch your bank records for unauthorized charges
o Look for ATM and gas pump tamper labels
Bluesnarfing = Fraudsters insert a skimming device on/in a gas pump or ATM and uses Bluetooth
technology to intercept your information during the payment transaction.
o Bluesnarfing is different from traditional skimming because instead of needing to
retrieve the device to collect stolen information the fraudsters are able to sit 100 yards
away and have the information transmitted to their laptops.
o Sometimes the reader is inside the card slot – or deeper in the machine.
o Busy gas station pumps can have around 400 credit cards ran per day
o Often fraudsters will sell your information on the dark web or make their own
counterfeit cards.
Related podcasts:
Fargo’s Fraud Squad: The Romance Scam
Fargo’s Fraud Squad: The Grandparent Scam
Fargo’s Fraud Squad: The Craigslist / Secondary Market Scam
Fargo’s Fraud Squad: Counterfeit Money
Fargo’s Fraud Squad: What to do if you’re a victim
Detective Swan, Fargo PD, in the KFGO Studio
(Jack Sunday & Amy Iler are talk-show hosts at 790 AM KFGO in Fargo-Moorhead. “It Takes 2 with Jack & Amy” can be heard weekdays 11am-2pm. Follow Amy on Twitter @AmyKFGO. Follow Jack on Twitter @nodakjack.)
