A TikTok user showed viewers his secret to never having his credit card stolen at the gas pump in a now-viral moment. video.
Joseph, who goes by FLM FLIGHT on TikTok, was preparing to fill up his tank at a gas station while filming the video earlier this month.
“POV: You’re checking the card reader to make sure you don’t get scammed,” he wrote in the video, concluding with a laughing emoji rolling on the floor.
The five-second video showed Joseph pulling on both sides of the card slot that is connected to the gas pump.
This method is one of several things customers can do to ensure they are not fooled by a gas pump.
Joseph, who goes by FLM FLIGHT on TikTok, was at a gas station recording a video of him pulling the slot on a car to make sure it passed me.
A credit card skimmer is a device that can be connected to any card reader.
Criminals use skimmers to obtain card numbers and expiration dates by simply swiping them on a reader with the device.
Most people may not notice a scanning device due to its size and may even be at risk of identity theft.
In addition to gas pumps, cardholders can find data extraction devices at ATMs, point-of-sale (POS) terminals, and parking meters.
The act of debit card theft increased 368 percent from 2021 to 2022 and more than 161,000 cards were affected during that time, according to ICO.
According experianGas stations are a popular hotspot for card skimmers because the pumps are typically not near employees and a skimmer device can go unnoticed for days or weeks.
If this happens, the criminals who planted the skimmers can download all the card information and create copies of it to make fraudulent purchases or withdrawals.
There are several tricks someone can do to protect themselves from that problem and Joseph successfully showed an example of one in his June 7 TikTok video.
A credit card skimmer is a device that can be connected to any card reader. Skimming device detected at gas stations, but Joseph was not a victim
The card slot Joseph was pulling from the gas pump was solid and firm.
This probably satisfied Joseph since Marine Credit Union He said a card reader that “feels lost or moves too much” could be a sign of a skimmer.
Anyone who is not willing to risk their debit card can use a credit card or pay inside the gas station.
In these cases it is better to use a credit card, as a debit card is directly connected to a bank and can give criminals a better opportunity to empty your accounts.
Once the beneficiary pulls the cardholder and makes a card preference, they can choose to cover the keypad when entering the PIN number so that the cameras do not record what the cardholder writes.
Debit and credit cards are usually not the only payment methods at gas stations, and customers can choose to pay with a till or inside instead of at the pump.
Cash won’t compromise anyone’s personal information, and paying by card inside the store will help employees keep an eye on the card readers.
In case something suspicious happens, one can keep an eye on their card history to see if any unusual transactions were made.
If a cardholder becomes a victim of fraud, they should report the problem to their bank, credit union, or credit card company and have employees close the account immediately.
The card slot on the gas pump Joseph used was not loose, meaning there was probably no removal device inside the machine.
Other TikTok users revealed in their comments that they also do the trick to ensure they don’t get tricked by criminals at a gas pump.
“I do this every time… I found two skimmers.” wrote one TikToker.
One person also wrote: “I do this every time I go to the gas station and use the same pump at the same gas station if possible in my local town.”
Tips from TikTokers to avoid falling under the spell of a skimming incident include using credit cards, virtual payments, and simply “tap and go.”