Sunday, February 22, 2004

Alert: ATM Card Skimming

I've heard on a number of occasions about "card skimming", which is where some crook installs a device in front of an ATM's card slot that "skims" the data off the bank card's magnetic strip. Usually this has to be accompanied by someone watching you enter your PIN, since the card is supposedly useless without a PIN. The University of Texas police have put on an alert that shows a new twist on the scam: a wireless camera is hidden on the machine to catch your PIN. (Thanks to Wi-Fi Networking News for the link.)

Bank ATMs Converted to Steal IDs of Bank Customers

"A team of organized criminals is installing equipment on legitimate bank ATMs in at least 2 regions to steal both the ATM card number and the PIN. The team sits nearby in a car receiving the information transmitted wirelessly over weekends and evenings from equipment they install on the front of the ATM (see photos). If you see an attachment like this, do not use the ATM and report it immediately to the bank using the 800 number or phone on the front of the ATM."

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