Spotting bank card skimmers at ATMs and restaurants in South Africa

• Card skimmers are devices placed over ATMs and card machines to capture bank card details, including card number, name, expiry date, and CVV number, allowing criminals to clone cards and commit fraud.
• Major South African banks, including Absa, Capitec, FNB, and Nedbank, have acknowledged the ongoing threat of card skimming, despite the adoption of contactless and chip-and-PIN technology.
• To mitigate the risk of card skimming, South Africans are advised to stay vigilant, visually inspect ATMs and card machines before use, and look out for red flags such as loose or wobbly card slots.