Anti-Scam FAQ: What Is An ATM & Credit Card Shimmer Scam

Answer:

A shimmer scam is an update on skimming except that thieves are using “shimmers” to target chip-based credit and debit cards. A shimmer is a very thin piece of paper that can read your card number and access your credit or debit card’s EMV chip—the chip designed to help make your card more secure.
 
A thief will put a shimmer into an ATM and let it collect information from each card that is used, allowing them to create a non-chip version or magnetic strip credit card then.
 
Shimmers have been showing up more recently despite first being reported on in 2015. In 2017, the number of debit cards compromised at ATMs and merchant card readers—typically via skimming devices that capture card data—rose 10%, according to FICO.
 
DID YOU KNOW? A shimmer is a very thin piece of paper that can read your card number and access the EMV chip on your credit or debit card.

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