Redbox.com: Free Rentals Are Great, But Beware!

I recently posted a deal on this website to get all of your movie rentals for free through redbox.com. The post has gotten quite a bit of traffic, so I thought it was only prudent that I share something that a reader made me aware of a couple of days ago. Some redboxes around the country have fallen prey to people stealing credit card information through credit card skimmers. From redbox.com:

A few days ago redbox detected and removed an illegal credit card skimming device at one of our 7,400 locations. At the same time, redbox also discovered evidence of skimming attempts in two other locations.

Locations with evidence of skimming attempts:

– 1101 South Rural Road, Tempe, AZ (device removed before retrieval by perpetrator) - 1620 El Paseo Road, Las Cruces, NM (evidence of skimming attempt) - 2330 East Lohman Avenue, Las Cruces, NM (evidence of skimming attempt)

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Skimming involves the placement of an illegal device above the credit/debit card reader on a vending machine, ATM, or in this case a redbox. These devices are used to illegally read or store personal credit card information. Redbox is not aware of any fraudulent activity or transactions using our customers’ accounts and does all it can to minimize the risk of this happening.

You can help. It never hurts to pay a little extra attention and check for any unusual activities or changes to your local redbox. If you suspect the redbox has been tampered with (see below for pictures of redbox approved credit card readers and of skimmer devices), please contact 630-756-8866, e-mail alerts@redbox.com or notify the store/restaurant manager of your concerns immediately.

Skimming is not new It has been attempted numerous times on ATMs, gas station pumps, and now redbox has been targeted. Redbox has been aware of these industry threats and has spent significant time and resources to prepare for them. The 7,400 redbox locations are visited frequently by redbox associates to maintain smooth operations and an optimum customer experience. In this case, a redbox associate found evidence of skimming attempts and initiated the actions in the team’s response plan (including this message).

Redbox greatly values our customer relationships. As a result, redbox is open and direct in our communications about this type of situation. The redbox team also utilizes industry-leading technology to ensure you have a safe shopping experience and aggressively combats attempts by criminals to defraud customers. Please see the questions and answers below for some additional details on skimming and how redbox ensures the safety of your account information.

Sincerely,

Trina Graham-Hodo
Director, Customer Service

Bill Caputo
Director, Security

Additional Questions / Answers

What is credit card skimming?
Skimming is the theft of credit card information used in an otherwise legitimate transaction. It often involves the placement of an illegal device above the credit/debit card reader on a vending machine, ATM, or in this case a redbox. For more info click these links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Credit_card_fraud#Skimming

http://www.uboc.com/about/main/0,,2485_703976951,00.html

Where can I get more information on credit card skimmers?
Please use these links to get more information on credit card skimmers:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Credit_card_fraud#Skimming

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/computersecurity/infotheft/2007-07-31-gift-cards_N.htm

http://www.uboc.com/about/main/0,,2485_703976951,00.html

How do I know if a skimmer is on my redbox?
Redbox credit/debit card readers are standardized for all locations. Here are pictures of the two approved readers:

Here are some examples of skimmer devices:

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Tagged as: credit cards, fraud, Identity theft

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