Skimming or the theft of information about ATM users’ credentials again happened to one of BCA’s bank customers, Habibie Agus Kurnia, who conceded Rp135 million in savings. There are a number of characteristics of ATM machines that have the potential for skimming crimes.
Cybersecurity expert and founder of Ethical Hacker Indonesia Teguh Aprianto explained that several ATM machines are at risk of being exploited by bad people. He said ATM machines in quiet locations, for example at Public Fuel Filling Stations (SPBU), became easy targets for ATM card criminals.
“ATM machines that have been the most prone to skimming are usually in quiet places and also gas stations. So when making transactions using cards in these places, you should be careful,” said Teguh via his personal Twitter, Sunday (27/3).
Thus, people who want to withdraw money from ATM machines with the above characteristics must be vigilant if they do not want their savings at ATMs to be stolen by cyber criminals.
Teguh also explained how an ATM machine that had a skimmer attached to it or a device that could copy a Personal Identification Number (PIN) combination worked. He said the skimmer is usually in the mouth where the customer inserts the card.
According to him, there is a device installed to record customer card data. Then at the top of the ATM button cover, a camera is placed to capture the PIN combination on the ATM card.
“The way skimming works is that in the mouth where you insert the card, a device is installed to record your card data. Then at the top of the ATM button cover, a camera is placed to capture your ATM pin,” he concluded.
Tips to prevent being a victim of skimming
Other experts also reveal a number of ways to prevent us from falling victim to skimming. Cybersecurity expert from Vaccines.com, Alfons Tanujaya, explains it as follows:
– Choose an ATM card that already uses a chip
Alfons said to avoid skimming crimes, one of them could be by using an ATM card that already uses a chip card. According to him, the ATM card that uses the chip is encrypted.
He said encryption is the process of securing information so that it cannot be read without the help of special codes or knowledge. Thus, it is better to ask the bank for a card that already uses this chip technology.
Currently, said Alfons, the average ATM card still uses a combination of chip and magnetic, because it is still in a transition period. So banks need to slowly deactivate EDC and magnetic ATMs.
– Cardless Transactions (Cardless)
In addition, Teguh suggested that the public should use the cardless or cardless transaction feature to withdraw money from an ATM machine.
A number of banking services are currently offering this feature so that customers do not need to enter the card into an ATM machine.
Users are usually given a number of codes to be able to withdraw money at an ATM machine. The code was obtained from the mobile banking application on the smartphone.
This feature is considered safe by Teguh because it does not have to insert an ATM card into a machine that has the potential to be scanned by a skimmer.
“If you don’t want to be complicated and safer, you don’t have to use a card. Use cardless,” he concluded.
Furthermore, Teguh suggested separating the main account and the account for transactions, to prevent excessive losses when customers become victims of skimming or ATM card burglary.
(can/fea)
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