Skimming scam alert for contactless terminals

A NEW warning has been issued as scammers target people's bank card details in Merseyside and across the UK.

- BY ELLIOT JESSETT, LOCAL DEMOCRACY REPORTER

The 'skimming' scam has been identified as a growing concern as fraudsters look to use sophisticated digital tools to steal people’s money.

Criminals are using contactless card skimming scams to capture banking information from an account holder's contactless card, typically when they are near a payment terminal or within close proximity to one.

This can be done by physically touching the card with a skimming device or by using a wireless device to read the card’s data.

Card skimming devices, or card skimmers, are small electronic devices which access card information at payment points and are designed to blend in with legitimate card readers, making them difficult to spot.