Credit card skimmers have been popping up across the country in recent months, including in California.
According to a 2023 Fair Issac Corporation report , credit card skimming in the United States increased by 20% from the previous year.
The FICO report, the most recent report available from the data analytics company, looked at skimming incidents in the first half of 2023 compared to the same time period in 2022.
Although skimming reports decreased in California, the report said, the Golden State still remained the top state for skimming activity in the nation.
In May, a theft ring allegedly used card skimmers and ATMs to drain millions of dollars in financial aid from electronic benefit transfer card accounts, The Sacramento Bee reported . An investigation resulted in 13 arrests in Los Angeles.
Two people were arrested in Grover Beach on suspicion of card skimming in November, and police allegedly caught a man using a skimmer at a San Luis Obispo bank in December.
Here are ways you can stay protected while using ATMs and card machines.