scamming the skimmers

One example of a skimming device that's been ripped from an ATM. Diebold thinks that changing the orientation of a machine's card reader will help stop skimming. (photo: Aaron Poffenberger)

Can ATM Operators Beat Skimmers By Simply Rotating Card Readers 90 Degrees?

For decades, we’ve been sliding our credit and debit cards into ATMs with the shorter side of the card entering the reader. All this while, ID thieves have been improving their card-skimming devices to fit this well-established mold. The skimmers have gotten smaller, sleeker, and smarter, to the point where even a trained eye might be fooled. So what’s the best way to upend all those years of hard work by the bad guys? According to ATM biggie Diebold, it’s just as simple as turning the reader 90 degrees. [More]