‘Shimming’ is the new credit card skimming scam: Here’s how to protect your money in Cleveland

CLEVELAND, OH (WOIO) - You’ve probably heard of credit card skimming before. Now there’s an even sneakier way crooks are stealing debit or credit card information from people when they buy groceries or gas.

We recently hit the streets of Cleveland to ask people about “shimming.”

Not a single person we spoke with had heard of the scam before.

A “shim” or “shimmer” is a paper-thin device embedded with a microchip and flash storage.

It targets consumers who ‘dip’ or insert their chip-enabled cards into a card reader to make a purchase.

Unlike skimming devices, which are typically bulky and easier to spot, security experts said shimming devices can be difficult to detect because scammers actually wedge the device into the card reader slots.

Once a shimming device is in place it can copy and save credit or debit card information, which can then be used to make a new card.

“I think that’s very disheartening, especially when you see that chip everywhere you go now," said J’Vaughn Briscoe. “I work in retail, and 99.9 percent of my customers have that chip on their card."

Collecting the stolen card data is also an easy task, according to Nancy Crawford with the Better Business Bureau.

“All the crooks have to do is use a special card so they walk up to the terminal and insert the special card to retrieve the information and it just looks like they are using the terminal to make a purchase,” said Crawford.

Some shimmers can even transmit stolen card data wireless through a Bluetooth connection.

“It seems that every new thing they come out with, there’s always someone at the back door trying to razzle and dazzle and bamboozle the people," said Briscoe.

So how can you protect your hard-earned money?

Consumer credit agency Experian recommends taking advantage of contactless “tap and go” payment features if your cards have them.

Mobile payment apps, like Apple Pay or Google Pay, are also safer to use than inserting your card into a reader.

Shimming devices have also been found inside of ATMs, so if you need cash try using an ATM inside of a bank instead of using stand-alone terminals, which are more vulnerable to scammers.

Getting your cash directly from a bank teller may not be as convenient as an ATM, but it’s an even safer option.

If you do dip your card into a reader and it’s really tight or your experience any resistance, Experian said you should immediately stop the transaction, notify the store and call your bank.

Copyright 2019 WOIO. All rights reserved.