You reach the ATM, insert your card, enter your PIN, and get on with your day.

Most of us barely look at the machine first.

It may be worth taking a few seconds.

South Africa's major banks say traditional card skimming has become far less common, thanks to chip-and-PIN cards, contactless payments, and improved fraud prevention. But it still happens.

What should you look for?

A skimmer can be fitted over an ATM's real card slot to capture card information. Criminals may also use a false keypad or hidden camera to obtain your PIN.

Possible warning signs include:

• A card slot that feels loose or wobbly
• Plastic that looks different from the rest of the ATM
• Something that appears to have been fitted over the card slot or keypad
• An unusually thick or difficult-to-press keypad

These signs don't prove that a skimmer is present. But if anything around the card slot, keypad or screen looks unusual or tampered with, don't use the ATM.

And always cover the keypad with your other hand when entering your PIN. A hidden camera or someone watching nearby may be all a criminal needs to capture it.

It's not only ATMs

This is the part that's easy to overlook.

FNB warns that a card can also be skimmed when it leaves your sight, including at restaurants, petrol stations and shops. A separate reader can capture information from the card.

So when you're paying, keep the card where you can see it and check that the card returned to you is actually yours.

The fraud problem has changed

There is some reassuring news.

Absa told MyBroadband it had seen no abnormal increase in skimming during 2026, while other major banks said traditional skimming has become considerably less prominent.

But fraud itself hasn't gone away. SABRIC's latest statistics show that digital banking crime losses reached R2.41 billion in 2025 among the institutions included in its dataset.

The threat has changed. Protecting the physical card still matters, but so does watching what happens on your banking app and accounts.

Five habits worth keeping

• Look at an ATM before inserting your card.
• Cover your PIN every time.
• Never accept help from strangers at an ATM.
• Keep your card in sight at restaurants, petrol stations and shops.
• Switch on transaction notifications and act quickly if something looks wrong.

If your card is swallowed, swapped or goes missing, contact your bank immediately.

The Bottom Line

Card skimming is much less common than it once was, but it hasn't disappeared.

A quick look at the ATM, a hand over your PIN and keeping your card in sight when you pay are small habits that can still make a difference.