Check scammers often get a bad name for stealing checkbooks, washing checks, and other practices like check kiting, but it’s time to warn your customers about a vicious new threat that’s literally pumping money out of people every day. It’s called skimming, and buyers who pay with credit/debit cards are the targets.

Skimming may have a light and fluffy name, but it’s anything but fun. The process happens when a card-skimming device is slipped over, behind, or into a card reader, in highly-frequented places such as gas station pay-at-the-pump pads. The skimming paraphernalia is basically a filter, and it grabs your financial information when you swipe. Think about how little time you actually spend when you swipe – fewer than seconds. You’re not really paying attention to what’s going on or noticing that anything’s different, because you’re pumping gas, buying a cup of coffee, grabbing a donut. That’s all the time skimmers need for their device to grab the info your account, and you won’t even know it until it’s drained.

There are things to keep an eye out for, if you can train yourself to do so. Yes, it means taking an extra minute at the pinpad, but isn’t it worth it?

• Try to wiggle the pinpad – it shouldn’t be loose at all.
• Look for a cover with different colors or materials than the rest of the unit.
• Check for moving parts.
• Ensure there are no spy cameras installed on the device – you’d be surprised how tiny they can get.

Don’t rest easy just yet. Skimmers are evolving and some now have the skimming equipment inside the pinpads themselves. In these cases, you can’t necessarily prevent getting skimmed because there is absolutely no way to see it, but you can stay alert. Look for signs of tampering, duct tape, exposed wires, and other things that just get your hackles up that something’s not right. And keeping your account balanced, saving receipts, and checking your statements monthly are always good practices to get into.

Check skimming is just the latest attempt to separate people from their money. It’s unfortunate and even unfair that we have to be so on guard, but if you want to keep the money you’ve earned, it’s required that you stay alert. And while it’s not required that you give your customers additional options to help them avoid criminal activity such as check skimming, consider it good will in your karma bank.

Customers don’t want to put their livelihoods at risk just to buy something, and those who have been burned are going to be twice shy. That’s why it’s integral to keep your business open to check payments. We’d like to offer you the following free download (no debit card swipe required!). Sure, you're open to accepting checks, but checks aren't scam-free either. Here's how to safeguard yourself, while making this essential payment option available for your buyers.