Within mere minutes, a woman’s bank account was left empty when her debit card was reportedly compromised, spurring immediate warnings for consumers to favor using credit cards.
Over $500 vanished from her checking account after the card was used during a routine store visit.
The incident unfolded in Appomattox, Virginia, roughly 2 hours from Richmond.
Dee Neumann said she made a purchase using her debit card before she realized something was wrong.
Neumann discovered her card had been charged more than a dozen times in Florida, a state she hadn’t visited.
“I saw 15, 16 charges from Florida that were on my account, and I wasn’t in Florida,” she said.
The scam wiped out her funds in one go.
“It’s a gut punch because I’m on Social Security… I have a very, very small pension,” she told ABC local affiliate WSET.
She believes her card was skimmed, a technique where criminals secretly install devices on ATMs and card readers that grab card data.
The sheriff’s office in Appomattox said the breach might also have stemmed from clicking a bad link or opening a phishing email.
Neumann immediately called her bank, but she’s not sure the stolen money will ever be recovered.
“The bank said they would try, but it’s a credit union, so it’s hard to say,” she said.
Officials say debit cards can leave consumers more exposed since they pull directly from personal funds.
The Virginia Better Business Bureau said fraud protection is stronger when using credit cards.
“There’s no hundred percent guarantee that the systems are there, in place to protect you,” said Barry Moore of Virginia’s BBB.
“But electronic and the bank, the bank cards, the retailers are doing their very, very best.”
A similar case hit a shopper in Lynchburg, about two hours west, when $400 disappeared from her EBT card during a Walmart trip.
What is a skimmer device?
A skimmer device is a fraud tool designed to steal sensitive information from credit or debit cards during transactions.
- Imagine a skimmer device as a sneaky thief that hides on ATMs or card machines.
- Its job is to secretly steal your credit or debit card information when you use it for a transaction.
- These devices are like tiny spies that can copy your card details, including the card number and PIN, without you even realizing it.
- Skimmers can be cleverly disguised to look just like the regular card reader, making them hard to spot.
- Once they have your information, bad guys can use it to make fake cards or buy things without your permission, causing a lot of trouble and stress.
- It’s important to always be cautious and check for anything unusual on card machines before using them to protect yourself from these sneaky devices.
She filled her cart with groceries and thought her balance would cover it, but only 24 cents remained.
“I had about $400 in groceries, and suddenly my food stamp card was almost empty,” the woman, Tammy, told WDBJ.
“By 2:33 am, they started stealing my food stamps, and until 2:38 am, my whole total was gone.”
Police traced the theft to a skimmer secretly installed on Walmart’s self-checkout terminal.
“They slip right over the payment terminals,” said Katie Jennings of Lynchburg Police.
“Regrettably, they’re extremely easy to install. You might encounter them at gas stations, self-checkouts, or even at the checkout counter where there’s a cashier,” she stated.
One suspect, Romanian national Florin Doroiman, was arrested in connection to the crime.
Police in Gastonia, North Carolina, also discovered skimming devices on checkout machines in March.
The device was one of five found across different stores in the area, investigators said.
The FBI has warned that public-benefit cards like EBTs are prime targets because they often lack chip security.
Some skimmers wirelessly transmit stolen data to criminals in real time.
Experts say shoppers should inspect terminals for loose parts or odd-feeling card slots and use a contactless way to pay when possible.
Anyone who suspects they used a tampered terminal has been urged to call their bank immediately.
