Credit card skimming fraud continues to affect companies and their customers, causing businesses such as Costco to routinely inspect their PIN pads for the devices. According to news reports, following a routine inspection of its PIN pads, five card-skimming devices were found at four Costco stores in the Chicago area.
According to Costco, fewer than 500 customers were affected by the scam. When Costco found the skimmers, it “promptly removed the skimmers, notified law enforcement, and engaged a forensics firm to analyze the devices.” The skimmers were able to copy the customers’ name, card number, expiration date and CVV.
Costco notified the affected individuals, offered free credit monitoring, and advised users to check their credit card statements carefully for any unauthorized charges.
The message from Costco is an important one for all of us. Credit card skimming fraud continues to be an active scam, and we all should be watching our credit card statements carefully and alerting our bank if there is a suspicious charge. This is especially true as the holiday season approaches.