Secret Service issues public advisory on ATM skimming

The U.S. Secret Service issued a public advisory on ATM and Point of Sale (POS) Terminal Skimming, including consumer tips to protect against skimming. These tips echo what Texas’ Financial Crime Intelligence Center (FCIC) agents have preached for years and include:

• Use ATMs inside financial institutions, near security cameras, or near the drive-up window. These ATMs are harder targets for criminals.
• Look for signs of tampering at an ATM, such as broken lights, raised PIN pads with loose components, or stickers placed in unusual locations.
• Sign up for any available text or email alerts that notify you when your card is used to help detect fraud.

The bulletin is welcomed information from the USSC, but it does show the lag between crimes happening on Main Street and the response by our federal government and federal law enforcement. Because TBA’s members and the FCIC reported such spikes in ATM skimmers, TBA escalated the issue with Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick and began pursuing a state legislative fix. Part of that fix is found in SB 1499 by Jacksonville-based Robert Nichols and HB 3109 by Houston’s Mary Ann Perez. These companion bills expand the authority of the FCIC to cover all payment fraud.