Walmart is making a major change to its self-checkout machines.
The retailer has installed bright yellow rims around the PIN pads on the machines after a surge of card skimming.
Reddit user matteo360 shared a photo of the machine on the Walmart subreddit page and wrote, “My manager called it a ‘chastity belt’ for the pin pad.”
The move comes after some Walmart locations fell victim to card skimming scams, which many people in the comments noted.
“I think this might be protecting the reader from people attaching skimmers,” one person wrote.
“An apt comparison, as it is designed to protect against skimmers,” another said.
Someone even noticed that this is a better option than Walmart’s current protector.
“This design looks a bit better and more involved than just the little rectangle with our logo on it, to the side. I like this better.”
A skimmer is a card reader that’s disguised to look like it’s supposed to be part of the payment terminal, according to the FBI.
The skimmer steals personal data such as card numbers and PIN codes, which are then used to replicate into counterfeit cards, unauthorized transactions or identity theft.
The new “chastity belt” tool reportedly protects the key pad and the card terminal from skimmers.
Some Walmart stores previously removed self-checkout completely as a way to combat card skimming.
If you’re wondering if the PIN pad on your self-checkout machine has been tampered with, there are some things to look out for that should raise eyebrows.
A card reader that is loose, off-center or has some parts that are wiggling, there’s the possibility that it’s been affected. Also, look out for a keypad that’s thicker than usual or has different colors.
If the red tape on the machine is missing or damaged, patrons should assume it’s been meddled with.
Sometimes hackers will install pinhole cameras to try to get someone’s PIN code, so be sure to cover up the pad as you enter the PIN.
Card skimmers also tend to target gas pumps and ATMs.
