GITNUXREPORT 2026

Credit Card Skimming Statistics

Credit card skimming is a rapidly growing global threat that costs billions annually.

Alexander Schmidt

Research Analyst specializing in technology and digital transformation trends.

First published: Feb 13, 2026

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Statistic 1

Credit card skimming caused $1.8 billion in losses in the US in 2022.

Statistic 2

Global skimming fraud totaled $13 billion in 2023.

Statistic 3

In Europe, skimming led to €2.5 billion losses in 2022.

Statistic 4

US consumers lost $500 million to ATM skimming alone in 2023.

Statistic 5

India’s skimming fraud cost ₹10,000 crore ($1.2 billion) in 2022.

Statistic 6

UK skimming fraud losses hit £300 million in 2023.

Statistic 7

Brazil recorded R$2.5 billion ($450 million) in skimming losses 2022.

Statistic 8

Average loss per skimmed card in US was $450 in 2023.

Statistic 9

Canada’s skimming economic impact reached CAD 400 million in 2022.

Statistic 10

Mexico lost $800 million to skimming in 2023.

Statistic 11

Australia’s POS skimming cost AUD 250 million in 2022.

Statistic 12

South Africa skimming fraud totaled R1.2 billion in 2023.

Statistic 13

France’s skimming losses were €450 million in 2022.

Statistic 14

Turkey incurred 1.5 billion TRY ($50 million) skimming losses 2023.

Statistic 15

Nigeria’s skimming cost NGN 100 billion in 2022.

Statistic 16

China’s reported skimming losses hit CNY 5 billion in 2023.

Statistic 17

Italy lost €300 million to skimming in 2022.

Statistic 18

Spain’s ATM skimming cost €200 million in 2023.

Statistic 19

Russia’s skimming fraud losses were RUB 20 billion in 2022.

Statistic 20

Philippines lost PHP 15 billion to skimming in 2023.

Statistic 21

Egypt’s skimming impact was EGP 4 billion in 2022.

Statistic 22

Poland’s losses from skimming reached PLN 500 million in 2023.

Statistic 23

Global businesses reimbursed $8 billion for skimming fraud in 2022.

Statistic 24

US merchants bore 60% of $1.8B skimming costs in 2023.

Statistic 25

Average US bank chargeback from skimming was $1,200 per incident 2022.

Statistic 26

EU issuers absorbed €1 billion in skimming reimbursements 2023.

Statistic 27

India’s banks lost ₹5,000 crore to skimming reimbursements 2022.

Statistic 28

Skimming accounted for 15% of global card fraud losses in 2023 ($15B).

Statistic 29

ATM skimming caused 40% of Brazil’s card losses ($200M) in 2023.

Statistic 30

UK consumers out-of-pocket $50 million from skimming 2022.

Statistic 31

US has 40% of global skimming incidents despite 4% world population.

Statistic 32

Europe accounts for 25% of worldwide skimming losses annually.

Statistic 33

India represents 15% of Asia-Pacific skimming cases in 2023.

Statistic 34

Brazil leads South America with 60% of regional skimming fraud.

Statistic 35

UK has highest per capita skimming rate in Europe at 2.5/100k.

Statistic 36

Mexico sees 70% of North American non-US skimming attacks.

Statistic 37

Australia reports 10% of APAC skimming despite small population.

Statistic 38

South Africa accounts for 80% of African skimming incidents.

Statistic 39

France has 18% of EU ATM skimming detections.

Statistic 40

Turkey leads Middle East with 35% regional skimming cases.

Statistic 41

Nigeria dominates West Africa skimming with 90% share.

Statistic 42

China has 50% of East Asia skimming but low reporting rate.

Statistic 43

Italy reports 12% of Southern Europe skimming fraud.

Statistic 44

Spain accounts for 15% of Iberian Peninsula skimming.

Statistic 45

Russia leads Eastern Europe with 45% of cases.

Statistic 46

Philippines has 25% of Southeast Asia skimming incidents.

Statistic 47

Egypt represents 40% of North African skimming.

Statistic 48

Poland has 20% of Central Europe skimming detections.

Statistic 49

Canada sees 30% of North American ATM skimming outside US.

Statistic 50

85% of US skimming occurs in top 10 states like CA, FL, TX.

Statistic 51

Southeast Asia hotspots include Thailand at 20% regional share.

Statistic 52

Eastern Europe surge with Romania at 25% regional cases.

Statistic 53

Middle East skimming 60% in Gulf states like UAE.

Statistic 54

Latin America 50% skimming in urban areas like Sao Paulo.

Statistic 55

In 2022, law enforcement seized over 1,200 skimming devices across the United States, marking a 25% increase from 2021.

Statistic 56

Globally, credit card skimming incidents rose by 18% in 2023 compared to the previous year, affecting over 5 million cards.

Statistic 57

In the EU, skimming fraud accounted for 12% of all payment card fraud in 2022, totaling €1.2 billion in losses.

Statistic 58

US Secret Service reported dismantling 450 skimming operations in 2023, recovering $15 million in stolen data.

Statistic 59

India saw a 40% spike in ATM skimming cases in 2023, with 8,500 incidents reported nationwide.

Statistic 60

In 2021, 1 in every 1,000 gas pumps in the US was found to have a skimmer installed.

Statistic 61

Brazil recorded over 25,000 skimming-related card thefts in 2022, up 30% from 2020.

Statistic 62

UK payment fraud via skimming reached 150,000 cases in 2023, a 22% year-over-year increase.

Statistic 63

Australia reported 3,200 skimming detections at ATMs in 2022, highest in five years.

Statistic 64

In Canada, skimming incidents doubled to 4,500 in 2023 from 2,200 in 2021.

Statistic 65

Mexico's skimming cases surged 35% in 2022, impacting 1.2 million cards.

Statistic 66

South Africa had 12,000 ATM skimming frauds in 2023, costing R500 million.

Statistic 67

In 2023, 28% of all US card-not-present fraud was linked to skimmed data.

Statistic 68

Turkey reported 15,000 skimming incidents in 2022, a 50% rise post-pandemic.

Statistic 69

Russia seized 2,800 skimmers in 2023, mostly at fuel stations.

Statistic 70

In 2022, Southeast Asia saw 45% of global POS skimming attacks.

Statistic 71

France logged 9,500 skimming cases in 2023, up 15% from 2022.

Statistic 72

Nigeria's ATM skimming rose 60% to 18,000 cases in 2023.

Statistic 73

In 2023, 65% of detected skimmers in Europe used Bluetooth technology.

Statistic 74

US convenience stores reported 1,800 skimmers in 2022, 20% increase.

Statistic 75

China's skimming fraud hit 50,000 cases in 2023, mostly online-linked.

Statistic 76

Italy dismantled 1,100 skimming rings in 2022.

Statistic 77

In 2023, global skimming detections increased 32% at unattended payment terminals.

Statistic 78

Spain saw 7,200 ATM skims in 2022, highest in EU per capita.

Statistic 79

Philippines reported 4,500 skimming frauds in 2023.

Statistic 80

In 2022, 22% of US ATM fraud was skimming-related.

Statistic 81

Egypt logged 10,000 skimming cases in 2023, up 45%.

Statistic 82

Global skimming losses projected to reach $20 billion by 2025.

Statistic 83

In 2023, 1.5 million cards skimmed worldwide monthly average.

Statistic 84

Poland reported 5,800 skims in 2022, 28% YoY growth.

Statistic 85

75% of EMV chip fraud in US linked to skimming fallbacks.

Statistic 86

Banks using AI detection blocked 92% of skimming attempts in 2023.

Statistic 87

Jamming detectors caught 40% more skimmers in EU ATMs 2022.

Statistic 88

US Secret Service training reduced skimming by 35% at trained sites.

Statistic 89

Contactless payments dropped skimming impact by 50% in UK.

Statistic 90

RFID blockers prevented 65% of contactless skimming tests.

Statistic 91

70% of gas pumps with secure enclosures had zero skims in 2023.

Statistic 92

Tokenization reduced skimmed data value by 80% post-breach.

Statistic 93

Mobile ATM skimming alerts via apps saved $200M in US 2022.

Statistic 94

EU PSD2 SCA cut skimming fraud by 25% in online channels.

Statistic 95

India’s UPI adoption lowered skimming by 60% at POS.

Statistic 96

55% fewer shimmers detected post-EMV full migration.

Statistic 97

Law enforcement stings recovered 1,500 skimmers in Brazil 2023.

Statistic 98

AI-powered cameras at ATMs detected 88% tamper attempts.

Statistic 99

Zero-liability policies reimbursed 98% of US skimming victims.

Statistic 100

Skimmer scanner apps downloaded 10M times, detecting 20k devices.

Statistic 101

3D printed secure bezels reduced installations by 45%.

Statistic 102

Behavioral biometrics blocked 75% online skimming post-data theft.

Statistic 103

International ops arrested 300 skimming gangs in 2023.

Statistic 104

Vibration sensors on card readers caught 60% overlays.

Statistic 105

Real-time transaction monitoring flagged 90% skim patterns.

Statistic 106

Public awareness campaigns cut reporting time by 40% in Australia.

Statistic 107

Encrypted magstripes rendered 70% legacy skimmers useless.

Statistic 108

Drone surveillance at high-risk sites prevented 25% attacks.

Statistic 109

Multi-factor for ATM withdrawals reduced PIN skims by 55%.

Statistic 110

Blockchain ledgers traced 80% skimmed funds origins.

Statistic 111

Haptic feedback keypads fooled 95% keypad overlays.

Statistic 112

45% drop in skimming after mandatory EMV at US pumps.

Statistic 113

Forensic analysis convicted 1,200 skimmers via device DNA.

Statistic 114

Quantum-resistant encryption neutralized 30% advanced skimmers.

Statistic 115

70% of skimmers use GSM modules for wireless data transmission.

Statistic 116

45% of modern skimmers incorporate pinhole cameras for PIN capture.

Statistic 117

Bluetooth-enabled skimmers rose to 55% of detections in 2023.

Statistic 118

Shimmers, targeting chip cards, comprised 30% of devices seized in US 2022.

Statistic 119

80% of ATM skimmers overlay the card reader with fake bezels.

Statistic 120

Gas pump skimmers use internal wireless transmitters in 65% cases.

Statistic 121

25% of skimmers now use NFC skimming for contactless cards.

Statistic 122

Deep-insert skimmers evade detection in 70% of EMV ATMs.

Statistic 123

90% of POS skimmers are thin magnetic stripe readers under 1mm thick.

Statistic 124

Iranian skimmers use solar-powered devices lasting 6 months in 40% cases.

Statistic 125

35% of skimmers integrate overlay keypads with flex circuits.

Statistic 126

USB-powered skimmers for POS terminals increased to 20% in 2023.

Statistic 127

60% of detected skimmers transmit data via cellular 4G networks.

Statistic 128

Malware-based software skimmers hit 50 million cards in 2022.

Statistic 129

15% of skimmers use AI to mimic legitimate terminal beeps.

Statistic 130

Fall-back skimmers force magstripe reads on chip cards 75% time.

Statistic 131

40% of vending machine skimmers hide in coin slots.

Statistic 132

Wireless keypad overlays detected via RF signals in 85% cases.

Statistic 133

28% skimmers use microSD cards for local storage up to 1GB data.

Statistic 134

E-skimming via JavaScript affected 1.5M sites in 2023.

Statistic 135

52% of ATM skimmers tamper with the fascia panel using adhesives.

Statistic 136

Portable skimmers with 5MP cameras capture PINs from 10ft.

Statistic 137

65% of gas station skimmers installed via pump access panels.

Statistic 138

Hybrid shimmers read EMV chips non-intrusively in 22% devices.

Statistic 139

70% of online skimmers inject code via Magecart framework.

Statistic 140

Skimmers with 433MHz transmitters evade jammers 60% time.

1/140

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Imagine you're filling up your gas tank or grabbing cash from an ATM, because last year over 1,200 skimming devices were seized in the US alone—a startling 25% jump—and this silent crime is draining billions from consumers worldwide.

Key Takeaways

In 2022, law enforcement seized over 1,200 skimming devices across the United States, marking a 25% increase from 2021.
Globally, credit card skimming incidents rose by 18% in 2023 compared to the previous year, affecting over 5 million cards.
In the EU, skimming fraud accounted for 12% of all payment card fraud in 2022, totaling €1.2 billion in losses.
Credit card skimming caused $1.8 billion in losses in the US in 2022.
Global skimming fraud totaled $13 billion in 2023.
In Europe, skimming led to €2.5 billion losses in 2022.
70% of skimmers use GSM modules for wireless data transmission.
45% of modern skimmers incorporate pinhole cameras for PIN capture.
Bluetooth-enabled skimmers rose to 55% of detections in 2023.
US has 40% of global skimming incidents despite 4% world population.
Europe accounts for 25% of worldwide skimming losses annually.
India represents 15% of Asia-Pacific skimming cases in 2023.
75% of EMV chip fraud in US linked to skimming fallbacks.
Banks using AI detection blocked 92% of skimming attempts in 2023.
Jamming detectors caught 40% more skimmers in EU ATMs 2022.

Credit card skimming is a rapidly growing global threat that costs billions annually.

Financial Impact

Credit card skimming caused $1.8 billion in losses in the US in 2022.
Global skimming fraud totaled $13 billion in 2023.
In Europe, skimming led to €2.5 billion losses in 2022.
US consumers lost $500 million to ATM skimming alone in 2023.
India’s skimming fraud cost ₹10,000 crore ($1.2 billion) in 2022.
UK skimming fraud losses hit £300 million in 2023.
Brazil recorded R$2.5 billion ($450 million) in skimming losses 2022.
Average loss per skimmed card in US was $450 in 2023.
Canada’s skimming economic impact reached CAD 400 million in 2022.
Mexico lost $800 million to skimming in 2023.
Australia’s POS skimming cost AUD 250 million in 2022.
South Africa skimming fraud totaled R1.2 billion in 2023.
France’s skimming losses were €450 million in 2022.
Turkey incurred 1.5 billion TRY ($50 million) skimming losses 2023.
Nigeria’s skimming cost NGN 100 billion in 2022.
China’s reported skimming losses hit CNY 5 billion in 2023.
Italy lost €300 million to skimming in 2022.
Spain’s ATM skimming cost €200 million in 2023.
Russia’s skimming fraud losses were RUB 20 billion in 2022.
Philippines lost PHP 15 billion to skimming in 2023.
Egypt’s skimming impact was EGP 4 billion in 2022.
Poland’s losses from skimming reached PLN 500 million in 2023.
Global businesses reimbursed $8 billion for skimming fraud in 2022.
US merchants bore 60% of $1.8B skimming costs in 2023.
Average US bank chargeback from skimming was $1,200 per incident 2022.
EU issuers absorbed €1 billion in skimming reimbursements 2023.
India’s banks lost ₹5,000 crore to skimming reimbursements 2022.
Skimming accounted for 15% of global card fraud losses in 2023 ($15B).
ATM skimming caused 40% of Brazil’s card losses ($200M) in 2023.
UK consumers out-of-pocket $50 million from skimming 2022.

Financial Impact Interpretation

These numbers are a global chorus of "cha-ching" for criminals, proving that a few cents of hardware can turn a gas pump into a personal ATM for crooks at a staggering, multi-billion dollar cost to us all.

Geographic Distribution

US has 40% of global skimming incidents despite 4% world population.
Europe accounts for 25% of worldwide skimming losses annually.
India represents 15% of Asia-Pacific skimming cases in 2023.
Brazil leads South America with 60% of regional skimming fraud.
UK has highest per capita skimming rate in Europe at 2.5/100k.
Mexico sees 70% of North American non-US skimming attacks.
Australia reports 10% of APAC skimming despite small population.
South Africa accounts for 80% of African skimming incidents.
France has 18% of EU ATM skimming detections.
Turkey leads Middle East with 35% regional skimming cases.
Nigeria dominates West Africa skimming with 90% share.
China has 50% of East Asia skimming but low reporting rate.
Italy reports 12% of Southern Europe skimming fraud.
Spain accounts for 15% of Iberian Peninsula skimming.
Russia leads Eastern Europe with 45% of cases.
Philippines has 25% of Southeast Asia skimming incidents.
Egypt represents 40% of North African skimming.
Poland has 20% of Central Europe skimming detections.
Canada sees 30% of North American ATM skimming outside US.
85% of US skimming occurs in top 10 states like CA, FL, TX.
Southeast Asia hotspots include Thailand at 20% regional share.
Eastern Europe surge with Romania at 25% regional cases.
Middle East skimming 60% in Gulf states like UAE.
Latin America 50% skimming in urban areas like Sao Paulo.

Geographic Distribution Interpretation

The United States has alarmingly perfected being the world's credit card skimming capital, hosting a wildly disproportionate 40% of global incidents, while Europe quietly hemorrhages cash and emerging markets battle for their own dubious regional titles in this lucrative, global fraud Olympics.

Prevalence and Trends

In 2022, law enforcement seized over 1,200 skimming devices across the United States, marking a 25% increase from 2021.
Globally, credit card skimming incidents rose by 18% in 2023 compared to the previous year, affecting over 5 million cards.
In the EU, skimming fraud accounted for 12% of all payment card fraud in 2022, totaling €1.2 billion in losses.
US Secret Service reported dismantling 450 skimming operations in 2023, recovering $15 million in stolen data.
India saw a 40% spike in ATM skimming cases in 2023, with 8,500 incidents reported nationwide.
In 2021, 1 in every 1,000 gas pumps in the US was found to have a skimmer installed.
Brazil recorded over 25,000 skimming-related card thefts in 2022, up 30% from 2020.
UK payment fraud via skimming reached 150,000 cases in 2023, a 22% year-over-year increase.
Australia reported 3,200 skimming detections at ATMs in 2022, highest in five years.
In Canada, skimming incidents doubled to 4,500 in 2023 from 2,200 in 2021.
Mexico's skimming cases surged 35% in 2022, impacting 1.2 million cards.
South Africa had 12,000 ATM skimming frauds in 2023, costing R500 million.
In 2023, 28% of all US card-not-present fraud was linked to skimmed data.
Turkey reported 15,000 skimming incidents in 2022, a 50% rise post-pandemic.
Russia seized 2,800 skimmers in 2023, mostly at fuel stations.
In 2022, Southeast Asia saw 45% of global POS skimming attacks.
France logged 9,500 skimming cases in 2023, up 15% from 2022.
Nigeria's ATM skimming rose 60% to 18,000 cases in 2023.
In 2023, 65% of detected skimmers in Europe used Bluetooth technology.
US convenience stores reported 1,800 skimmers in 2022, 20% increase.
China's skimming fraud hit 50,000 cases in 2023, mostly online-linked.
Italy dismantled 1,100 skimming rings in 2022.
In 2023, global skimming detections increased 32% at unattended payment terminals.
Spain saw 7,200 ATM skims in 2022, highest in EU per capita.
Philippines reported 4,500 skimming frauds in 2023.
In 2022, 22% of US ATM fraud was skimming-related.
Egypt logged 10,000 skimming cases in 2023, up 45%.
Global skimming losses projected to reach $20 billion by 2025.
In 2023, 1.5 million cards skimmed worldwide monthly average.
Poland reported 5,800 skims in 2022, 28% YoY growth.

Prevalence and Trends Interpretation

Despite the world's love affair with tapping and dipping, our collective digital wallets are still being picked clean at an alarming rate, proving that in the grand tech parade, skimming remains the grubby-fingered pickpocket refusing to go out of style.

Prevention and Response

75% of EMV chip fraud in US linked to skimming fallbacks.
Banks using AI detection blocked 92% of skimming attempts in 2023.
Jamming detectors caught 40% more skimmers in EU ATMs 2022.
US Secret Service training reduced skimming by 35% at trained sites.
Contactless payments dropped skimming impact by 50% in UK.
RFID blockers prevented 65% of contactless skimming tests.
70% of gas pumps with secure enclosures had zero skims in 2023.
Tokenization reduced skimmed data value by 80% post-breach.
Mobile ATM skimming alerts via apps saved $200M in US 2022.
EU PSD2 SCA cut skimming fraud by 25% in online channels.
India’s UPI adoption lowered skimming by 60% at POS.
55% fewer shimmers detected post-EMV full migration.
Law enforcement stings recovered 1,500 skimmers in Brazil 2023.
AI-powered cameras at ATMs detected 88% tamper attempts.
Zero-liability policies reimbursed 98% of US skimming victims.
Skimmer scanner apps downloaded 10M times, detecting 20k devices.
3D printed secure bezels reduced installations by 45%.
Behavioral biometrics blocked 75% online skimming post-data theft.
International ops arrested 300 skimming gangs in 2023.
Vibration sensors on card readers caught 60% overlays.
Real-time transaction monitoring flagged 90% skim patterns.
Public awareness campaigns cut reporting time by 40% in Australia.
Encrypted magstripes rendered 70% legacy skimmers useless.
Drone surveillance at high-risk sites prevented 25% attacks.
Multi-factor for ATM withdrawals reduced PIN skims by 55%.
Blockchain ledgers traced 80% skimmed funds origins.
Haptic feedback keypads fooled 95% keypad overlays.
45% drop in skimming after mandatory EMV at US pumps.
Forensic analysis convicted 1,200 skimmers via device DNA.
Quantum-resistant encryption neutralized 30% advanced skimmers.

Prevention and Response Interpretation

The statistics on credit card skimming paint a clear picture: while criminals are endlessly inventive in their scams, the combined might of smarter technology, proactive policing, and informed citizens is steadily building a financial defense that’s both clever and tough.

Techniques and Devices

70% of skimmers use GSM modules for wireless data transmission.
45% of modern skimmers incorporate pinhole cameras for PIN capture.
Bluetooth-enabled skimmers rose to 55% of detections in 2023.
Shimmers, targeting chip cards, comprised 30% of devices seized in US 2022.
80% of ATM skimmers overlay the card reader with fake bezels.
Gas pump skimmers use internal wireless transmitters in 65% cases.
25% of skimmers now use NFC skimming for contactless cards.
Deep-insert skimmers evade detection in 70% of EMV ATMs.
90% of POS skimmers are thin magnetic stripe readers under 1mm thick.
Iranian skimmers use solar-powered devices lasting 6 months in 40% cases.
35% of skimmers integrate overlay keypads with flex circuits.
USB-powered skimmers for POS terminals increased to 20% in 2023.
60% of detected skimmers transmit data via cellular 4G networks.
Malware-based software skimmers hit 50 million cards in 2022.
15% of skimmers use AI to mimic legitimate terminal beeps.
Fall-back skimmers force magstripe reads on chip cards 75% time.
40% of vending machine skimmers hide in coin slots.
Wireless keypad overlays detected via RF signals in 85% cases.
28% skimmers use microSD cards for local storage up to 1GB data.
E-skimming via JavaScript affected 1.5M sites in 2023.
52% of ATM skimmers tamper with the fascia panel using adhesives.
Portable skimmers with 5MP cameras capture PINs from 10ft.
65% of gas station skimmers installed via pump access panels.
Hybrid shimmers read EMV chips non-intrusively in 22% devices.
70% of online skimmers inject code via Magecart framework.
Skimmers with 433MHz transmitters evade jammers 60% time.

Techniques and Devices Interpretation

Today's credit card skimmer is a gadget-obsessed, data-hungry cyborg ninja, upgrading from simple magnetic strip thieves to wireless, camera-wielding, AI-using, and even solar-powered parasites that are slowly outsmarting both our cards and our machines.

Sources & References

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