All over the US, thieves are installing credit card skimmers that steal your card information. Here's how to spot a skimmer on a gas pump or ATM.

There are various ways card skimmers are being used now, and the newest ones are totally invisible to consumers.

The old method was to install a skimmer over the top of the credit card reader and steal the card data as it's being inserted into the machine. There's still a ton of these being used, so it's important to look for it every time you use self-serve machines with your credit card. The video above explains this and well worth a watch.

There's a newer, high-tech, way that thieves are using to get your card info, especially from gas pumps. They get a hold of a universal pump key and install a wiring harness into the pump, behind the card reader, and hide close by as the device sends your card info via bluetooth to their phone. You'll never see it coming since they aren't installing a device over the regular card reader.

Security experts strongly suggest using cash or cards inside and avoid self-pay pumps if at all possible, and keep an eye on your bank statements at all times. It's likely to happen to every one of us at some point in our lives, unfortunately.

The video below is a report on it happening in the Twin Cities. You can bet the same thing is happening right here in St. Cloud.

Here's another video from more recent:

 

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