Shimming: what it is and how to avoid this financial scam 2026

It's a race and the thieves are always ahead. Gone are the robberies on the street in broad daylight (which continue to happen), now, We are talking about more complex techniques such asshimming . We tell you what it is and how you can avoid this financial scam.

• Safety tips for caring for the elderly

Cybercrime is much more complex than the robberies or thefts that can occur on the street. You have to be careful with the websites you visit , where you put your data and much more. Sometimes, they may get hold of your information without you writing it down anywhere.

As a result of this, many people get scared and decide that they should not make purchases on the Internet. It is not necessary to get to that point. Actually, Just be a little cautious and buy from reliable pages. . Of course, they must have active security protocols.

Shimming: what it is and how to avoid this financial scam

This scam consists of steal the data that credit cards store in their EMV microchip . By obtaining that information, it is possible to create an identical duplicate that is fraudulent.

This theft is not new, It is an update of the classicskimming , which consisted of the same thing, but looked for the information stored on the magnetic stripes of the cards. This element is deprecated.

The most dangerous thing aboutshimmingthe thing is It camouflages wonderfully and it is almost impossible for us to notice realize that we are suffering a robbery. In addition, it can be used in almost any payment terminal or ATM.

This financial scam consists of manipulate the slot of ATMs, dataphones, parking meters …in which the credit card is inserted so that the EMV microchip information is obtained.

Only a special device needs to be inserted, known asShim , who will be in charge of doing all the work. Being so small, it cannot be seen easily.

At the time that the payment is being made or money is being withdrawn, the information is retransmitted to the place chosen by the thieves and can be done with all the data that is stored on the card.

Once this happens, thieves can use that information to create a credit card that simulates yours . This way, they can withdraw money or make payments with it without repercussions.

What to do if you have been a victim of shimming or think you are

Suppose you go into the bank application and You find a cash withdrawal that you did not make . If you have not left your card with anyone, it is more than likely that you are the victim of a scam.

The first thing you should do, as quickly as you can, is Call the bank with which you have contracted the service to cancel the card . With this, you prevent them from continuing to withdraw money from your account. If you want to be a little more extreme, you can make a transfer of everything that is left to someone you trust like your father, mother or siblings.

Secondly, you have to Go to the police and file a theft report that you just suffered. Explain the situation, the ATM where the withdrawal was made and share all the data you have.

Fits the possibility of that money returning to your account , since there are some banks that contemplate these insurance scams. The thief may also be caught and you will recover your capital.

How to avoid shimming

If you don't want to get to the previous point, there are some guidelines you can follow to avoid being a victim ofshimming . Although it is a very discreet technique, there are ways to avoid falling into it.

The next time you go to put your card in an ATM, watch to see if you have problems inserting it. On many occasions el Shimmakes it impossible to position correctly . Given this, we recommend that you change to another terminal that you have nearby.

Whenever you are going to make a withdrawal, try let it be in well-known banks or that have some recognition. Also, if they have a surveillance camera pointing at the terminal, the better.

El paycontactlesscan be a great ally in the fight against this type of scam. Whether from your mobile phone or with the card itself, you prevent the information from being removed from this microchip.

Banks have a large number of security measures, but doing our part is the differentiating element to avoid scams of this style. Keep an eye on the ATM whenever you withdraw money and don't let yourself be scammed.

En Yoigo AlarmsWe help you feel safer at home. If you want to improve home protection, go to our website or call 900 622 398 so that our experts can advise you.

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