Walmart is making a change to self-checkout machines and the new anti-skimming device has been dubbed a “chastity belt.” Following a surge in card skimming, the retailer has added a bright yellow belt on top of pin pads on the machines. Card skimming is when someone illegally installs a device on a card reader in order to obtain someone’s personal data. Skimming devices are usually found inserted in the card reader or can be attached to the key pad with a fake overlay. While there are ways you can tell if a machine has been compromised — a reader that’s loose, off-center or has parts that wiggle — the new anti-skimmer device protects the key pad and terminal from devices being installed. Employees and shoppers can determine if a machine has been tampered with if they notice the red tape on the machine is missing or damaged.
