What term describes a scheme where a server swipes a customer's credit card information while processing a payment?

The term that describes a scheme where a server swipes a customer's credit card information while processing a payment is "skimming." Skimming involves capturing the magnetic stripe data from a credit card at the point of sale, usually without the cardholder’s knowledge. This is typically done using a small device that reads and stores the information from the card.

In the context of a restaurant or retail environment, a server could easily use a skimming device while processing a payment to collect credit card details as they pass through the card reader. This illicit act allows fraudsters to later clone the customer's card or use the information for unauthorized purchases, making it a significant security concern.

Other terms like "shimming" also relate to the manipulation of card information but involve different, often more sophisticated, methods focusing on EMV chip cards. Counterfeiting refers to creating fake cards or replicating existing cards, while probing and scanning typically relate to gathering information using varying techniques, but they do not specifically apply to the act of directly capturing credit card data during a transaction. Thus, skimming is the most accurate term for this fraudulent activity.