Skimming involves taking data from a card's magnetic stripe. Which data source is typically used in skimming?

• A. Personal data from receipts
• B. Magnetic stripe data
• C. Online transaction records
• D. Card verification values

Answer: (B)

Skimming is all about the data stored on a card’s magnetic stripe. When a card is swiped, the reader captures the information encoded on that stripe—things like the account number and other track data—that criminals can copy and reuse to create counterfeit cards or gain unauthorized access. Because the theft revolves around extracting data directly from the stripe, magnetic stripe data is the data source typically used in skimming.

Personal data from receipts might appear in other fraud scenarios, but it isn’t the raw stripe data criminals grab. Online transaction records are records kept after a purchase and don’t provide the actual data stored on the card’s stripe. Card verification values (CVVs) are security codes used for verifying transactions and aren’t the primary data obtained from skimming the magnetic stripe.