Mexican ATM Skimmers Targeting American Tourists

SPOT THE SKIMMER:The skimming device on this ATM (left) is virtually undetectable except for a small space around the keyboard's bezel. Removing the front (right) reveals a sophisticated set-up designed to capture PIN codes and magstrip data. [Photos Courtesy Krebs On Security]

In a recent case reported by Krebs On Security, Mexican police in Puerto Vallarta captured a thief as he was changing out the battery in the unit on Jul. 18. An earlier report -- I Got Skimmed In Mexico on the tech site Gizmodo -- detailed a skimming scam in Tulum, a tourist town outside of Cancun.

Some security experts have speculated the thieves are placing the skimming devices in ATMs most likely to be used by Americans. Since the U.S. has been slow to switch over to the chip-and-pin EMV technology that offers enhanced security, the magstripes are low hanging fruit for thieves.