You’ve probably heard of credit card skimming on the news, how thieves somehow manage to get copies of your cards and go out on a spending spree that you only find out about when your next statement arrives. But what is it, and more importantly how can you protect yourself against becoming a victim?

Credit Card skimming is a process where thieves steal your card details but not the actual plastic itself. The huge advantage of this is that you’re not aware it’s happened so they will have much more opportunity to use the card before you become aware of the theft and report it.

So how can a thief steal your credit card without taking your plastic? It’s surprisingly simple actually as all they need to do is take an additional swipe of your card when making a transaction to a separate device that records the details on the magnetic strip on the back of your card. A simple video camera can record you entering your PIN details and they have all the information they need to produce a duplicate card.

Evidence suggests that skimming takes place most often where it’s easiest to get away with it. Be more vigilant in restaurants (where it’s quite common for your card to leave your sight for a time), petrol stations, and shops; all places where a potential skimmer could easily take a second swipe of your card.

So how can you avoid getting your credit card skimmed? Well, in short, be vigilant. In order to skim your card the thief has to take a second swipe on a separate reader so watch what they are doing with your card when you hand it over. You should of course never let the card leave your sight.

Another precaution is to make sure you shred your credit card receipts and statements as advances in technology indicate that the information contained on these can also be used to create a duplicate card.

Finally make sure your PIN number isn’t easy to guess. Don’t use obvious numbers like your birthday, part of your phone number, or any number that could be easily related to you by someone who doesn’t know you well. Also to minimise the risk further try to use different numbers for different cards.

Paula Marriss is a financial advisor and editorial contributor at The Money Zone where she writes regular articles on Credit Cards and other Personal Finance topics. To read more please visit http://www.money-zone.net/creditcards/

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