FAQS ABOUT ATM SKIMMERS

Q: What is an "ATM skimmer"?

A: A device that criminals use o capture the data found on the magnetic strip of your ATM card. The two most common types are a reader (which reads the card when you swipe it) and a camera (which records your PIN when you enter it). Thieves often use both at the same time, thus obtaining both your personal information and your PIN.

Q: How are ATM skimmers used?

A: Skimmers are designed to look like a real part of an ATM. Criminals attach them to ATMs to harvest data from ATM users. Skimmers can be high-tech: Many skimmers are designed to wirelessly transmit the information they gather to the thieves.

Q: Where are skimmers placed?

A: Skimmers are usually placed over the slot where you insert your card. When you put your card in the machine, it runs across the skimmer as it enters the machine. Cameras are usually placed above the keypad (often behind the plastic sheet bearing the name of the bank that owns the ATM), although they are sometimes hidden outside the ATM. Sometimes, the thieves will even replace the ATM keypad with a keypad that will record your PIN, eliminating the need for a camera at all.

Q: How can I tell if an ATM has been tampered with?

A: It can be difficult. For obvious reasons, criminals try very hard to hide what they are up to. Look at the ATM and see if anything looks out of place. Check for obvious signs, such as scratches or tape residue that might show that the ATM has been tampered with. Also, get to know the ATMs that you use regularly, which can help you detect tampering.

Most ATMs have a light where you insert the card: Do you see one? If not, it may be because a skimmer has been placed over the slot. Look above the keypad. Is there a hole for a camera? If you suspect an ATM has been tampered with, DO NOT USE IT! Report the matter to the bank or the owner of the ATM.

FAULTY BRAKE = LARGE JUDGMENT

Maintenance on a vehicle can be expensive. As U-Haul recently found out, lack of maintenance on a vehicle can be even more expensive.

A suit was brought by a renter of a U-Haul truck who was severely injured when the parking brake did not hold and the truck rolled over him. The man's pelvis and spine were crushed, his bladder was ruptured, and he suffered a number of other injuries. Treating him required numerous surgeries, and he is partially paralyzed and bedridden. The cost of treating him for the rest of his life has been estimated to be $25 million.

The renter sued U-Haul for negligence, and the evidence showed that U-Haul failed to properly maintain the brakes and transmissions of many of the trucks in its fleet. The renter presented evidence showing that almost a third of the trucks that U-Haul rents had brakes that did not work properly, and that the truck which had rolled over the renter was 18 years old and had been banned from being rented in Canada because of poor maintenance. Rather than fixing the problems, U-Haul chose to ship the truck to the United States for use as a rental.

Although U-Haul argued that it could not reasonably be expected to know that the parking brake was faulty and that the accident was the renter's fault, the jury did not agree. It awarded the renter over $84 million in damages, including $63 million in punitive damages, although the law required that this amount be reduced to a judgment of $46 million.

GETTING COMPENSATED FOR YOUR INJURY

So, despite your best efforts to be careful, you have been involved in a collision and you have been injured and suffered property damage. What steps can you take to get the compensation you deserve?

Often, the first step is to speak with a lawyer and evaluate your claim. This involves considering the facts and circumstances surrounding your injury and determining who is likely at fault.

If you are the victim of someone else's negligence, you may be entitled to compensation. However, evaluating a claim involves many other considerations. Is the other person insured? Was he or she at work at the time you were injured? Was he or she drunk or otherwise impaired? How badly are you hurt? Do you have some insurance that will cover your injuries or lost wages? All of these considerations can affect both the practicality of making a claim and the likely outcome.

In addition to evaluating the claim, you should take steps to preserve the evidence. Sometimes this is easy. Medical bills and repair bills are evidence of your losses, so save them. Lost wages are also not difficult to prove. Other evidence is harder to preserve because, if you do not take steps to preserve the evidence, it can easily disappear.

For example, take as many pictures of the scene as you can and take pictures of any damage or injuries to you, your car, or your property. Get the names of witnesses and obtain any reports filed by the police. All of these things can help you to prove your claim.

CONCLUSION