A PSA about how to check for credit card skimmers at the gas pump is making rounds on TikTok.
The video has amassed over 591,400 views and was uploaded by TikToker FLM FLIGHT (@flm_flight). In the video, a man demonstrated what gas station customers should do to avoid falling victim to the scam.
“POV: You checking the card reader to make sure you don’t get scammed,” text overlaid on the clip read.
In the short clip, a man records himself tugging at the card slot on the pump. It does not appear to budge.
According to the FBI, criminals sometimes illegally install devices on ATMs, fuel pumps, or other point-of-sale terminals that capture the credit card information of any card inserted into the machine. The machine wirelessly sends the stolen data back to criminals, and the information is then used to illegally make credit card purchases.
The Bureau states that skimming scams result in over $1 billion in losses for consumers and banks every year.
@flm_flight Not finna get me on bro #fypp #viral #relatable ♬ original sound – FLM FLIGHT
In the comments section, many agreed that they take skimmer scams very seriously.
“I do this very thing RELIGIOUSLY, when I fuel up,” user WarChild wrote.
“I do this all the time,” user Silvers550 wrote.
Others shared what they do to protect themselves from falling victim.
“That’s why I alway tap at all cc transactions!!” user George Baker said.
“Just tap and go,” user Damien Trothsheim agreed. “I don’t put my card in anything.”
The FBI has also offered up tips for consumers to avoid getting caught in skimmer scams. The Bureau noted that tap-to-pay transactions are, in fact, more secure and less likely to be “compromised.”
It also recommend using a fuel pump that is within eyeshot of and close to the gas station’s attendant. Additionally, it suggested running debit cards as credit cards or covering the keypad whenever entering debit PIN numbers if that is not an option.
Making payments inside of the gas station instead of at the pump may also safeguard consumers.
The Daily Dot reached out to FLM FLIGHT via TikTok comment for more information.
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