A type of scam that steals information at ATMs and gas pumps has been proliferating in the Charlotte area — skimming. A skimmer device surreptitiously installed in a machine can read account information stored on the magnetic strip on a bank or credit card; some devices can even record your personal identification number as you punch it in. The perpetrators use the information to drain your account.

The Secret Service warns people to avoid ATMs that appear to have been altered or have parts that are crooked or damaged; tug on the card-entry slot and keypad to see if they are loose. And cover the keypad with your hand as you enter your PIN. The craftier cybercriminals become, the more vigilance the rest of us must exercise.