How does skimming work?

Typically, someone in a workplace uses a small, manual skimmer to steal information from a card's magnetic stripe.  That information is sold to creminals, put onto a counterfeit card and used to make fraudulent purchases.

While making it look like they are performing maintenance, criminals can open the Point of Sale (POS) terminal and install the skimmer. In some circumstances, they remove the existing POS and replace it with one already modified. They can also install a device on one of the terminal's communication cables, capturing the card information during its transmission. You should be vigilant of any potential skimming activity and take actions to prevent this criminal activity in your workplace. If you suspect this type of activity has, or is, taking place, please contact your acquiring bank's security or fraud department.

What is skimming?

Skimming is a method used by criminals to capture data from the magnetic stripe on the back of a card and the data on the magnetic stripe of a legitimate card is copied to a storage device and later encoded on another plastic with a magnetic stripe.

It has essentially duplicated legitimate card data that can be used by a criminal to make fraudulent purchases. This can occur when a waiter takes your credit card to run it on their terminal or a skimming device can be installed on an unmanned gas pump or ATM machine. Chip processing will greatly inhibit skimming.

If I'm running a business from my home, am I a serious target for hackers?

Yes. Home users are arguably the most vulnerable simply because they are usually not well protected. Adopting a 'path of least resistance' model, intruders will often zero—in on home users—often exploiting their always-on broadband connections and typical home use programs such as chat, Internet games and P2P file sharing applications. Aperia, NCR Payment Solutions PCI vendor, provides a scanning service that allows home users and network administrators alike to identify and fix any security vulnerabilities on their desktop or laptop computers.