Part IV: Financial Fraud · Chip, Cash & Ticket Fraud

ATM Shimming (Chip Card Data Theft)

How it works

Shimming is the evolution of skimming for EMV chip cards. A paper-thin device is inserted into the ATM card slot, sitting between the chip on the card and the chip reader in the ATM. The shimmer captures data from the chip during a legitimate transaction. While the captured chip data alone cannot be used to create a working clone of a chip card, it can be used to create magnetic stripe clones for use at non-chip terminals, or to perform card-not-present fraud. In 2024, Australian authorities prosecuted a $36,000 shimming operation after receiving intelligence from the U.S. Secret Service about shimmer devices being shipped to Australia.

Where it appears

EMV-chip ATMs on casino properties

On the record

ATM shimming represents the criminal adaptation to EMV chip technology. As more ATMs become chip-enabled, shimming has increased correspondingly. International cooperation (U.S. Secret Service sharing intelligence with Australian Federal Police) has been critical in combating these operations.

Published as a detection reference for surveillance, compliance and gaming-operations professionals. Thresholds and tuning are set by the property. Nothing here is instruction — the method is described so it can be recognised.