Cover the PIN Pad? Always
It takes one second, costs nothing, and defeats an entire category of theft: covering the keypad while you type your PIN. Criminals plant tiny cameras above ATMs and store keypads to film PINs, then pair the footage with skimmed card data. Your hand is the cheapest security camera-blocker ever made.
TL;DR / Quick Fix
Quick fix: every time you type a PIN — ATM, store terminal, gas pump — shield the keypad with your other hand or your wallet. Hidden cameras that record PINs are defeated by one second of coverage. Make it automatic, like a seatbelt.
Follow these steps
- Make it a reflex. Hand over the pad, every time, everywhere. The goal is zero unshielded PIN entries — the one time you skip it is the one time the camera is there.
- Use your body, not just your hand. Stand close, angle your shoulders, let your wallet or bag add cover. Cameras mount above and to the side — your torso blocks angles your hand cannot.
- Inspect before you type. A quick glance for anything odd above the keypad — a bulky strip, a tiny hole, a misplaced brochure holder — takes three seconds and catches the camera housing.
- Prefer tap where you can. No PIN typed means no PIN filmed. Tap-to-pay skips the keypad entirely, which is one more reason it is the safest in-person method.
- Change a PIN you suspect was seen. If the keypad looked tampered with or someone stood too close, change the PIN in your banking app afterward. A fresh PIN makes any recording worthless.
- Report tampered machines. Tell the bank or store about anything suspicious on their machine. Your report gets the device inspected before the next victim arrives.
What NOT to do
- Do not type your PIN in the open because the line is rushing you. Ten seconds of patience beats months of fraud disputes.
- Do not use ATMs that look modified — extra attachments, loose parts, odd overlays. Walk away and use another machine.
- Do not let 'helpful' strangers stand close while you transact. Shoulder surfers pose as fellow customers; create distance firmly.
- Do not reuse the same PIN everywhere. One filmed PIN should compromise one card, not your whole wallet.
Frequently asked questions
Do hidden cameras really happen?
Yes — pinhole cameras hidden in false panels above keypads are a standard criminal tool, usually paired with a skimmer on the card slot. The combination is why covering matters even where you trust the reader.
Isn't the chip supposed to make this obsolete?
The chip protects the card data, not your PIN. Keypad cameras attack the PIN specifically, which is why covering remains essential even at chip-enabled machines.
What if I already typed my PIN at a suspicious machine?
Change the PIN immediately through your banking app and watch the account closely. Consider freezing the card until you are sure nothing was captured.