Do you pay at petrol pumps using credit card? You may be a victim of skimming, these tips will help you avoid losing money..

Skimming is a new method of scam. In this, scammers steal your debit or credit card information. For this, scammers hide a device and install it on the card swipe POS machine of an ATM machine, petrol pump or shops.

It is important to avoid paying with a credit card at petrol pumps.
If you use a credit card to buy fuel at petrol pumps, you get a lot of discount. Companies also give you many rewards and points for this. In such a situation, to take advantage of these, we prefer to pay with a credit card at petrol pumps. However, a new kind of scam is happening at petrol pumps regarding credit cards, which people fall prey to. Due to this, their bank account is getting emptied in minutes.

70 lakh times viewed credit card scam video

These days, a video of a credit card scam is circulating a lot on social media. A user named Sarthak Ahuja has shared this video, which has been viewed more than 70 lakh times so far. It is told in the video that a man swiped the card while filling petrol, and after a few days, more than one lakh rupees were stolen from his account. This fraud was done through card skimming.

What is card skimming?

According to cyber experts, skimming is a new method of scam. In this, scammers steal your debit or credit card information. For this, scammers hide a device and install it on ATMs, petrol pumps, or shops' card swipe POS machines. This machine is called a skimmer. Petrol pumps are more prone to skimming because the card machines (POS) there are often in the open.

How is fraud happening through card skimming?

When you insert or swipe your credit or debit card in a machine with a device, this skimmer records your card details. And to steal the PIN, a fake keypad or camera is also hidden and installed over the keypad. After extracting all the details of your card, scammers make fake cards and withdraw money from your account. By the time you come to know about it, your bank account is empty.

Are card skimming and cloning the same thing?

No. There is a slight difference between the two. Skimming is the first stage. In this, scammers steal your card number, PIN, and other details. After this, cloning is done. Based on this detail, a fake copy or clone of your debit or credit card is made.

Is there a risk of skimming from online transactions?
Card skimming can also happen through online transactions. This is called e-skimming or phishing. In e-skimming or phishing, scammers send you fake websites or links, where, as soon as you enter your card information, it is copied.

How to know if your card has been skimmed or not?
If you used a credit card for shopping at a restaurant, petrol pump, or online. Then, in a day or two, money is deducted from your bank account, and this can be the first sign of skimming. Often, fraudsters first deduct small amounts so that you or the bank do not get suspicious. Later, they withdraw the amount rapidly.

What things should be kept in mind to avoid a skimming scam?
To avoid credit card skimming, avoid using the card at places like petrol pumps and POS machines. Swipe the card yourself in the store or restaurant. Use OTP for transactions. If someone has fraudulently withdrawn money from your card, do not panic. Call your bank or block the card through the bank's app. The sooner you do this, the less the loss. Ask the bank to immediately stop the facility of international payment from the credit card. Visit the website www.cybercrime.gov.in and file an online complaint. Go to the nearest police station or cyber crime cell and file a complaint in writing.