Shimming
Everyone has heard of “skimming” when it comes to credit card fraud. But have you ever heard of “shimming”?
Shimming is the new “skimming” in the world of EMV chip cards. Shimming is done by inserting a paper thin card sized shim containing an embedded microchip and flash storage into the credit card slot where it intercepts data from the EMV chip of your credit or debit card. Although the data that is captured cannot be used to clone the chip itself, it can be used to clone the mag swipe data that can be used to commit fraud.
How can you protect yourself from this type of fraud? For starters, you can start using the “contactless” feature of the card if available (NCR Counterpoint 8.5.4.1+ supports this feature). Another way would be to use Apple Pay or Google Pay, or any of the smartphone-related payment apps if the retailer your shopping at supports these payment methods.
Another smart move, that you should already be doing, is checking your bank and credit card statements for any transactions not made by you and report any fraud immediately to your bank or card issuer. Most banks and credit card issuers already have apps that can be setup to alert you via text, email or both if any transaction over a certain dollar occurs.
For more information about the EMV capabilities of NCR Counterpoint or upgrading your system to be able to use EMV and contactless payments, contact the CCS Retail Systems Support Department at 800.672.4806 or email us.
-Bryan