Thursday, June 21, 2007

ATM: See how easy it is for crooks to steal your money

Protect your card and PIN! See how easy it is for crooks to steal your money: This is the original post, as written in December 2006 - translated from Italian (source) by Dark Roasted Blend One surveillance camera in a bank in Italy has captured these images. They clearly show how easily you may be swindled out of your money, while banking at automatic teller (ATM) Be on guard, and share this information with your friends! The camera shows someone routinely making a bank deposit: Banking Finance but what this person actually doing is inserting something in the machine: Banking, Finance, Photography to make sure that nobody catches him tampering with the machine, he has a friend outside to alert him. Banking, Finance, Photography Once the trap is set, the victim enters the bank: Banking, Finance, Photography He inserts the debit card into ATM, and it gets stuck there! The victim is surprised: "Weird, maybe this machine is broken?" He looks around for advice: Banking, Finance, Photography Luckily there is someone eager to help to get the card out. What "the helper" is actually after is the P.I.N. code: Banking, Finance, Photography "The Good Samaritan" convinces the victim to try to enter the code again (he may blame the faulty keypad, new type of the machine, or claim to know the "secret unblocking code", etc.) Banking, Finance, Photography However, the card remains stuck, no matter how many times he punches "Enter" or "Cancel". The exasperated victim leaves, realizing he will have to get his card from the bank later. Banking, Finance, Photography As soon as the victim is gone, "the helper" returns to retrieve the card from the machine. Now he's got both the card AND the P.I.N.. Banking, Finance, Photography he withdraws the maximum amount of money from all accounts on the card, and leaves. Banking, Finance, Photography The inserted "card trap" is just a piece of black film, which blends with black plastic of the ATM. Banking, Finance, Photography The trap is inserted into the slot, with the ends slightly sticking out and glued to the outside, for an easy withdrawal afterwards. Banking, Finance, Photography Once these ends are neatly glued in, it's nearly impossible to tell if there is any foreign object in the slot. Banking, Finance, Photography The trap film also has special notches, to ensure that the card is not ejected by the machine when the operation is canceled. Banking, Finance, Photography Once the victim is gone, the crook unglues the tips of the trap and "fishes out" the card. DO NOT FALL FOR THESE TRAPS! Never type your PIN in plain view of strangers. Banking, Finance, Photography Thanks to Gianlucamat for this warning. (Translated from Italian by A. Abrams) UPDATE, December 25, 2006: Think keeping money in ATM is too risky? There is always an alternative, you know :) Banking Finance