Technology can be good, bad and sometimes downright ugly – skimmers, or devices that steal your bank information have resurfaced in the Salina area.

There have not been any reports of them in Geary County, but JC Post spoke with Junction City Police Lieutenant Jeff Childs regarding how these devices work.

“They’re able to attach a skimmer device onto an ATM, a gas pump or something that you would slide your card into and it records your card’s information; and then [the assailants] come back and collect it with all the information from the cards that have been skimmed through it.”

Childs noted that skimmers can also be hand-held devices.

“It can happen at restaurants when you give them your card to pay your bill, they can have a device that they hold in their hand to swipe your card and hold the information on it.”

Incidents involving hand-held devices have been predominantly limited to larger cities. it is important to frequently check your bank or credit card statements, many financial institutions have mobile apps for that purpose.

If you do find that your debit or credit card information has been compromised – do not panic.

“Generally you’re covered with your financial institution,” said Childs. “You just need to dispute [irregular or incorrect charges] with your financial company, or whoever issued the card; a lot of times they will require you to make a police report saying you’re a victim of identity theft.”

Again, there have not been any reports of skimmers of any kind in the Geary County area. Skimmers are generally not detectable by just looking; check your card statements and balances often – especially when traveling.