Youre lucky - I had my bank call me at 1am one night to ask me if i had just tried to use my card to pay for something at a 7-11 in the USA somewhere. Obviously what triggered the system was that i had used my card at an ATM here earlier that day and 6hrs wasnt enough for me to catch a flight to the US and drive to this place and try to pay for something.
No idea how my card details got stolen. Having worked in security. Im aware how some malicious people have tampered with cash machines by either installing their own card reader over the original one which will 'skim' all your details as you put your card in and a little pinhole camera on the top of the ATM to read your pin number if not both.
'Fake card readers'
'Pinhole cameras'
Just to add to this -- The people who use 'jammers' to make it look like the machine has swallowed your card are usually very very close by. They will be the overly friendly person who is standing behind you who you think is queueing to use the cash machine, but he's actually looking over your shoulder as you type in your pin number. He knows he already has your card because its stuck in the machine and only he has the a tool long enough to reach in and scoop it out.
The ATMs that are normally hit the most are the ones directly outside of banks or supermarkets. Because when cards get swallowed. The average joe thinks that if they go inside the business that the ATM is linked to -- For example Tesco or Sainsburys who all run their own banks. That, that business will open the cash machine up and give them their card back and these 'jammers' are betting on the fact that you will leave the ATM unattended with your card still inside to go inside and do that. They'll tell you they'll stop people using the machine while you walk in and speak to a supervisor or customer service.
Even though ATMs might be linked to Sainsburys or Tesco etc etc Its not actually 'theirs' per se~ They are run by an outside company (
Possibly NCR??) and the only people who have access to the machines are NCR contractors/engineers and Cash In Transit contractors like G4S, Loomis etc etc - None of the staff inside supermarkets have the keys to open up the ATM and retrieve your swallowed card and even then these contractors are under strict orders not to give you your card back even if you have proof of I.D - Its for data protection purposes and stuff like that. If your card gets swallowed then immediately call your bank and cancel your card.
The ATMs that are attached to banks though are a little different. The people inside DO have keys to the ATM and will often stock the ATM with cash and resolve any errors with the machine themselves if they have the training before they call an engineer - it just saves them money and is more convenient.
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Buying stuff online also poses a risk, your computers security could be compromised. so just be cautious what sort of websites you visit and random links you get sent in your email if you do use your PC to buy stuff off
ebay, amazon or any other online retail store. Always enable two factor authentication if possible.
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Basically if you can avoid using ATMs and go contactless then that would easily be the safest way to go about it. Most smart phones and some smart watches have google or apple ipay for contactless payment.
Anyway, i think this post is long enough. I hope these nuggets of information were informative and helps keep your money safe if using an ATM is unavoidable, Just be cautious. Ive had people come up to me saying they had £3000 cleared out of their account within the hour in a few separate and small transactions after their card or details had been stolen at our cashpoint outside.
If there is anything else you would like to know about the subject. I'd be glad to answer any questions you might have if its within my knowledge