Skimmer
Definition
Overlay device fitted on an ATM card slot or POS terminal that reads and stores the magnetic stripe data of cards swiped through it.
- Installed on
- ATM card slot or POS terminal
- Data captured
- Magnetic stripe track data
- Common pairing
- Hidden camera or fake keypad overlay for PIN capture
Common questions
Does a skimmer alone give access to a victim's funds?+
Usually not, since the magnetic stripe data alone cannot authorise a transaction without the PIN, which is why skimmers are typically installed alongside a hidden camera or a fake keypad overlay.
How does skimming differ from other forms of card fraud?+
It involves a physical device attached to legitimate hardware to intercept data at the point of use, distinct from remote data breaches or phishing that steal card details without any device at the terminal.
Related terms
- BIN / IIN
- Bank Identification Number, formally the Issuer Identification Number under ISO/IEC 7812. The first six digits of the PAN identify the issuing institution...
- CVV / CVC
- Card Verification Value (Visa) or Card Verification Code (Mastercard). CVV1 is encoded on the magnetic stripe, CVV2/CVC2 is the 3-digit printed code...
- Embossing
- Raised characters on older card fronts produced by an embosser; modern cards are increasingly flat-printed because POS imprinters are obsolete.
- EMV Chip
- Integrated-circuit chip following the EMV (Europay-Mastercard-Visa) specification. Contact interface per ISO/IEC 7816, contactless per ISO/IEC 14443. Generates dynamic cryptograms that defeat static-data...
- Hologram
- Diffractive optical security feature: Visa dove, Mastercard interlocking globes, RuPay tricolour. Hard to reproduce without specialised embossing equipment.
- Magnetic Stripe
- Ferromagnetic strip on the card reverse encoding account data on three tracks per ISO/IEC 7811. Track 1 alphanumeric (79 chars), Track 2...
- NFC
- Near Field Communication, the 13.56 MHz contactless radio interface used for tap-to-pay. Built on ISO/IEC 14443 and underlies UPI Lite and RuPay...
- PVC Card Body
- Standard payment card construction: polyvinyl chloride core sandwiched between two transparent laminated overlays. Card dimensions 85.60 by 53.98 mm per ISO/IEC 7810...
- Shimmer
- Thin sliver-shaped device inserted inside the chip reader of an ATM or POS to intercept data exchanged with the EMV chip.
- Signature Panel
- White panel on the card reverse printed with a tamper-evident background (often the issuer name repeated or the word VOID appearing if...
- Tokenisation
- RBI-mandated mechanism that replaces the PAN stored at merchants with a token usable only by that merchant, reducing the value of stolen...