Card skimmers are a common way for criminals to steal someone’s credit card information.
How the process works is simple. First, someone installs a skimming device over a card reader. Usually, these devices are small or designed to fit exactly onto a normal card reader, meaning that it can be difficult to tell when a genuine reader has been tampered with.
Then, the device captures a victim’s credit card information while allowing them to complete their transaction as normal.
The FBI warns that card skimmers are commonly found “on ATMs, point-of-sale (POS) terminals, or fuel pumps.”
In the past year, several users’ TikToks have gone viral after sharing their discoveries of card skimmers. In one case, a user found a card skimmer that had been molded to fit over a 7-Eleven location’s entire POS terminal. In another, a user found that an ATM at a Shell gas station had been fitted with a skimmer on the card reader and a fake keypad to capture PIN codes.
Now, another user’s video has gone viral after sharing a card skimmer they claim to have discovered at a Chicago ATM.
In a video with over 1 million views as of Saturday, TikTok user Eric (@chicagoslots) shows himself removing the skimmer from the ATM, which he says was located at a Walgreens on the corner of Belmont and Paulina in Chicago.
@chicagoslots I cannot believe that this just happened! #chicago #walgreens #scam #scammers #fraud #theft ♬ original sound – Eric
“I went to go withdraw money for my haircut and I knew when I put my card in, something didn’t feel right,” Eric writes in the text overlaying the video. “If you used the ATM at Walgreens on Belmont and Paulina, your card has been compromised!”
As shown in the video, the card skimmer takes considerable force to remove. Its presence surprised both Eric and the employee shown in the video. According to Eric in comments, the employee called the police after his video recording ended.
In an email to Daily Dot, Eric explains that a previous skimming experience has made him more aware of the crime.
“I had $1400 stolen out of my checking account last May by a scammer who had copied my card using one of these devices and now I check for any anomalies with any ATM I use,” he detailed.
As for what happened after the video ended, Eric says, “The police were called and came out and Walgreens contacted their loss prevention. I did not wait for the police to arrive but the manager of Walgreens [texted] me and said that they did come out.”
In the comment section, users noted just how common this issue is.
“I always pull on them before Inserting my card,” wrote one user. “Years working in a bank this happened so many times it’s sad.”
“Definitely a good idea to pull on any of those wherever you go,” shared another. “Working at a gas station, they teach you about that in case of skimmers.”
A few offered methods for preventing your credit card information from being stolen.
“That’s why tap to pay is great and a better way to get money out the atm! Just hit you are done when done,” shared a user. Contactless payments are generally regarded as safer and less susceptible to skimmers than traditional card payment methods.
“This is why I only withdraw or deposit in person at my bank,” another added.
“This is why I just go to a store that has cash back options,” stated a third. “Why pay an ATM Fee when I can buy a drink or snack and get the money I need?”
Update April 4, 7:18am CT: In an email to Daily Dot, a Walgreens spokesperson stated that the store immediately contacted law enforcement once it became aware of the situation.
