Just when police thought they'd seen it all, along comes a new scam. Many retailers say it's the first they've heard of it, and some restaurants have been duped.

The new scheme involves the personal identification numbers (PIN) that are supposed to keep your money safe.

Fraudsters have been taking PIN readers from stores, modifying them with a chip that can read your personal financial information, and then putting them back.

"If they leave it for a day, a weekend, a month, they will get every transaction that's been swiped through that terminal," said Const. Phil Trudeau of the Winnipeg Police Service. "So as you can imagine there can be a considerable amount of accounts compromised in that time."

In most stores the PIN pads, or debit card readers, aren't bolted down. Police now suggest PIN readers be secured with brackets so they can't be removed.

"I think it's hugely concerning," said business owner Kerry Hogan. "I think if... it happens to my customers I think there's a huge trust issue. I think just the fact that it's out there, I think people are going to start questioning giving cards out."

March is fraud awareness month and the kick off to a new public awareness campaign. This time the Bank of Canada and law enforcement agencies are targeting retailers.

They hope to help stop everything from identity theft to counterfeiting, according to Michelle Witkowski of the Bank of Canada.

"There's a myth out there that the high denominations are most likely to be counterfeited. That is in fact not at all the case. It is the 20 dollar bill that is on the hit parade."

Police say an effective way to protect your debit card information is by changing your PIN at least four times a year.

Many times fraud groups sit on debit card data they've stolen for six or seven months before using it, so you should change it before they use it against you.

Other tips from the Winnipeg Police Service:

  • When choosing your PIN, stay away from obvious codes, like your birth date, social insurance number, or address.
  • Protect your PIN. Never write it down and leave it where a criminal can find it.
  • When using your debit card to make a transaction, make sure the employee swipes your card only once in the proper reader.

To report a fraud, contact PhoneBusters toll-free at 1-888-495-8501or visit their website at www.phonebusters.com