We all know the logical safety rules for ATM use: don’t visit the ATM alone at night, be cautious if someone is standing directly behind you, keep an eye out by using the small mirror, so on and so forth. There’s a new danger at ATMs that few are aware of: ATM skimming.

A skimmer is an unnoticeable device that reads the magnetic strip on bank cards to capture account information. Thieves are attaching skimmers to ATMs accompanied by tiny cameras to record the PIN that goes with each swiped card. Word of the ATM “skimming” epidemic has been spreading rapidly, worrying debit card owners on a global level.

We recently shared an article on Twitter and Facebook that covers a story about a skimming scam recently uncovered in Seattle. If you missed the posts, here’s the article: http://bit.ly/av1rna. Yahoo News also reported about ATM skimming last week, but on an international level. Be sure to read the Yahoo article if you travel frequently, http://yhoo.it/gKAYtl.

Skimmers are commonly placed on ATMs in less-secure locations, such as bars and convenience stores, but it can happen to anyone at any time. If you have questions about how to protect your identity in case you fall victim to a scam as ridiculous and easy as this one, feel free to leave a comment below.