Card Skimming

A skimmer is a device fitted over or inside the card slot that reads the magnetic stripe as the card is inserted. A pinhole camera or overlay keypad records the PIN. The fraudster then writes the stolen data onto a blank card and withdraws cash, often in another location or country.

Skimming mainly exploits magnetic stripe data, which is static. EMV chip cards greatly reduce the risk because chip data cannot be copied into a working clone, which is why banks and regulators have pushed for chip cards and EMV-compliant ATMs.

Preventive measures include:

• For banks: anti-skimming devices on card readers, CCTV, regular ATM inspections, transaction monitoring, SMS alerts and the ability to block cards instantly.
• For customers: covering the keypad while entering the PIN, checking the ATM for loose or unusual attachments, using ATMs in secure locations, enabling SMS alerts and reporting suspicious transactions at once.

Nepal has seen ATM skimming cases involving foreign gangs, prompting NRB to tighten card security requirements for banks.

स्किमर कार्ड राख्ने ठाउँमा जोडिने उपकरण हो, जसले म्याग्नेटिक स्ट्रिप पढ्छ। सानो क्यामेरा वा नक्कली किप्याडले PIN रेकर्ड गर्छ। ठगले चोरिएको तथ्याङ्क खाली कार्डमा राखी अन्यत्र नगद निकाल्छ।

स्किमिङले स्थिर म्याग्नेटिक तथ्याङ्कको फाइदा उठाउँछ; EMV चिप कार्डले जोखिम धेरै घटाउँछ।

रोकथाम: बैंकका लागि एन्टी-स्किमिङ उपकरण, CCTV, नियमित निरीक्षण, कारोबार अनुगमन, SMS सूचना र तत्काल कार्ड ब्लक सुविधा; ग्राहकका लागि PIN हाल्दा किप्याड छोप्ने, एटिएममा शङ्कास्पद उपकरण जाँच्ने, SMS सूचना सक्रिय गर्ने र शङ्कास्पद कारोबार तुरुन्त जानकारी दिने। नेपालमा विदेशी गिरोह संलग्न स्किमिङका घटनापछि नेपाल राष्ट्र बैंकले कार्ड सुरक्षा कडा बनाएको हो।