SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Yellowknifers should protect their pin numbers when using a debit card after at least one case of fraud occurred last week.

A woman, who did not want to be identified, circulated an e-mail after she had money stolen from her bank account after having her debit card information stolen, also known as skimming.

Debit cards can be "skimmed" by having the information stolen from the magnetic strip on the back of the card. Experts caution people to protect their pin number in order to help avoid fraud. - Tyler Heal/NNSL photo

"I'm not sure where it was skimmed," said the woman, who told Yellowknifer she lost close to $1,000.

She said her bank noticed the strange activity and flagged her account.

Craig Ware, communications adviser for RBC Royal Bank, said the bank is "aware of the issue and we're working very closely with the RCMP on the issue."

He said he could not speak of any specific cases due to privacy concerns.

The Yellowknife Bank of Montreal branch also confirmed a customer who was a victim of skimming last week. At the TD Bank branch in Yellowknife, manager Mike Adamchick said, "We're not aware of any (incidents) in our office."

Regardless, he stressed the importance of keeping a PIN number private.

"Don't share it with anyone," he said.

Const. Jarret MacDonald with the RCMP's commercial crime section said there was one reported occurrence of debit card fraud last week, but he would not confirm if the method used was skimming. He said the case is still under investigation.

Maura Drew-Lytle, spokesperson for the Canadian Bankers Association, said skimming is a way criminals obtain information from a bank card in order to make a copy of it.

"Criminals must, through some sort of reader, get the information off the magnetic strip on the back of your card," she said. "They also have to get your PIN number."

Drew-Lytle said there are a number of ways a PIN can be obtained, including watching surveillance videos or sometimes reading it off the card's magnetic strip.

"The best thing you can do is protect your PIN," she said.

When using a debit machine she advised that customers cover the PIN pad with their free hand, don't share their number with anyone and don't pick something obvious, like their birthday.

She said banks also have fraud security teams watching for any unusual activity and will block the card and alert the customer if strange transactions are spotted.

Drew-Lytle said skimming is "happening more" but added in 2008 only 0.7 per cent of bank cards in Canada were affected by it.

She also added those who are a victim of this type of fraud will get their money back.