Thieves ravage Texan ATMs

[ayoub_ibrahim]

ATM machines in the great state of Texas are under attack with some criminals using more sophisticated technology than others to get their loot.

A report out of the University of Texas at Austin warns students to look out for some savvy ATM bandits. The thieves are attaching their own equipment - "skimmers" - to the front of ATM machines and then transmitting data wirelessly to a nearby car. The faux card reader sends back card number information, while a wireless camera mounted in a fake pamphlet holder sends back PIN info.

"The thieves copy the cards and use the PIN numbers to withdraw thousands from many accounts in a very short time directly from the bank ATM," the school warns.

A couple hundred miles to the North in Fort Worth, criminals are simply running their trucks into stores and then putting the ATM machine in the back of their vehicle.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/28/35850.html

[az]

This first method was/is practicised here too. The worst thing about this is that you have no chance of getting the money back from the bank, because it was legally withdrawn with "your" card (a 100% matched fake) and PIN

AZ

[Brian Ellis]

Houston, we have a problem ...

[DukeP]

Actually in Denmark people ARE getting refunds, if they succumb to this scam. The banks have said that "normal" people have no way of protecting themselves from this type of scam - so they refund the money drawn.
Its done on a case per case basis tho.

I guess when they check their database, they can compare the complaints versus the machine where the money was withdrawn - several complaints then warrants an investigation.


~~DukeP~~

[UtwigMU]

Low tech solutions:

Put fake machine next to real one that records pins, swallows cards and tells people to go to their bank.

Pick their cards, use pins, draw.


Even more low tech, I recall reading about a case, when machine just disappeared.