Identity theft expert discusses atm skimming

22 May 2014 · 2 min

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In a Fox 5 News segment, reporter Sharon Crowley highlights a surge in credit‑card skimming incidents targeting MTA ticket kiosks and ATMs. A Queens man was arrested for installing a skimmer on a Metro‑North ticket machine at Grand Central, and recent cases involve Long Island Railroad ticket machines and a MetroCard kiosk at Columbus Circle. The segment features an identity‑theft expert who warns commuters to inspect machines for tampering, cover their PIN entry hand, and vigilantly monitor bank and credit‑card statements—checking accounts daily via mobile apps. The expert emphasizes that while the MTA’s self‑service kiosks are meant to speed ticket purchases, they have become attractive targets for thieves, prompting both law‑enforcement action and public‑awareness advice.

Thieves once again looking for a way into your bank account through an MTA ticket machine. Sharon Crowley shows us the latest very public place police have discovered a skimming machine.
These Metro North ticket kiosks are supposed to make it faster and easier for commuters here at Grand Central Terminal to buy a ticket.
I come to the city about 3 or 4 times a month. I use it monthly.
Unfortunately, the MTA says these machines are also appealing to thieves. A Queens man was arrested for installing a skimming device on one of these Metro-North ticket machines at Grand Central. And in the last month, criminals have also installed skimmers on Long Island Railroad ticket machines and a MetroCard machine at the Columbus Circle station.
Oh, it's always a concern.
And when you're at a ticket kiosk machine like this one, one of the things you can do to protect yourself, of course, is to look at the machine closely and compare it to other machines, make sure there's nothing unusual before you use it. And of course, if you're at an ATM, when you're putting in your PIN number, you should use your other hand to cover it.
Pay very close attention to your accounts, which means that your credit card account, your bank account, look at your online statements at a minimum monthly. I do it daily on my iPhone app. I look at my Bank of America and Citibank every single day, making sure all charges are authorized by me.
The MTA will soon have an app so you can buy your ticket from your smartphone or tablet, and banks are working on replacing the magnetic strip so that credit cards are safer to use. But it's all still a few years off. Meantime, it's up to you to protect your personal information. Sharon Crowley, Fox 5 News.