# Green covering over card slot on ATM machines **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 4, 2007, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/green-covering-over-card-slot-on-atm-machines/421463 "2007-10-04T02:49:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![solkoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/919ad9/32.png) [@solkoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solkoe)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2007, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/green-covering-over-card-slot-on-atm-machines/421463/1 "2007-10-04T02:49:24Z")
In my town, which is in Canada, and I assume in a much larger area, they have recently installed a green plastic covering over the bank card slot of the ATM machine. What it appears to do is slow the ejection of the card after you have finished with your transactions. The change happened with all the machines in my town about 6 months ago. Does anyone know anything about this? Did this change happen all over North America at the same time? ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2007, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/green-covering-over-card-slot-on-atm-machines/421463/2 "2007-10-04T03:05:03Z")
I believe that the purpose is to make it harder for fraudsters to install a skimmer on the slot. Change-over happened around here about four months ago. ---
**Author:** ![Gus\_Handsome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@Gus\_Handsome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gus_Handsome)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2007, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/green-covering-over-card-slot-on-atm-machines/421463/3 "2007-10-04T06:57:04Z")
[QUOTE=solkoe] In my town, which is in Canada, and I assume in a much larger area, they have recently installed a green plastic covering over the bank card slot of the ATM machine. What it appears to do is slow the ejection of the card after you have finished with your transactions. The change happened with all the machines in my town about 6 months ago. Does anyone know anything about this? Did this change happen all over North America at the same time? [/QUOTE] Good question, I was wondering the same thing these last few days but never thought of asking. Not sure where you are, but here in Kingston, ON, they are all changed. Regards ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2007, 9:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/green-covering-over-card-slot-on-atm-machines/421463/4 "2007-10-04T09:09:40Z")
Just FYI, one of our banks here have had the same thing installed at all of their ATMs for a year or so. As **Northern Piper** said, it’s an anti-skimming device. ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2007, 10:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/green-covering-over-card-slot-on-atm-machines/421463/5 "2007-10-04T10:21:07Z")
Ah, I was going to ask if it was a skimming device itself, although I’m not sure what one would look like. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2007, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/green-covering-over-card-slot-on-atm-machines/421463/6 "2007-10-04T11:51:57Z")
I have not seen any similar mods on any ATMs in the US yet & I travel a lot, often using ATMs in different cities. Just one anecdotal non-data point. (or is that data non-point?)