A very interesting story about finding and hacking a ATM Skimmer

Bama Reb

Suspended
Nov 2, 2005
14,446
0
0
On the lake and in the woods, AL
You can never be too careful when it comes to personal security. That goes for your bank card, to be sure, but also your own personal safety. If you're unsure of either in any location, chances are neither is the other.
 

Jon

Hall of Fame
Feb 22, 2002
15,635
12,545
282
Atlanta 'Burbs
Great post! Thanks. I look out for a lot of things, but I don't think I would have caught that. OTOH, I'm not sure it would fly in the states. Here, the main thing is to be careful where you use your card...
I wouldn't have caught that either, and it is happening here

http://krebsonsecurity.com/tag/atm-skimmer/

skimming attacks on ATMs increased at an alarming rate last year for both American and European banks and their customers, according to recent stats collected by fraud trackers. The trend appears to be continuing into 2016, with outbreaks of skimming activity visiting a much broader swath of the United States than in years past.

In a series of recent alerts, the FICO Card Alert Service warned of large and sudden spikes in ATM skimming attacks. On April 8, FICO noted that its fraud-tracking service recorded a 546 percent increase in ATM skimming attacks from 2014 to 2015.

“The number of ATM compromises in 2015 was the highest ever recorded by the FICO Card Alert Service, which monitors hundreds of thousands of ATMs in the US,” the company said. “Criminal activity was highest at non-bank ATMs, such as those in convenience stores, where 10 times as many machines were compromised as in 2014.”

While 2014 saw skimming attacks targeting mainly banks in big cities on the east and west coasts of the United States, last year’s skimming attacks were far more spread out across the country, the FICO report noted.
 

TIDE-HSV

Senior Administrator
Staff member
Oct 13, 1999
84,527
39,615
437
Huntsville, AL,USA
I wouldn't have caught that either, and it is happening here

http://krebsonsecurity.com/tag/atm-skimmer/
Oh, I know it is. The best answer is to use ATMs in banks and at places like Costco which inspect and place a seal on their readers each day. On the rare occasions when I use a gas card remotely (I never use a bank card), the reader gets a good going-over. Also, when gas companies try to convert my gas card into a general credit card, I decline...
 

TIDE-HSV

Senior Administrator
Staff member
Oct 13, 1999
84,527
39,615
437
Huntsville, AL,USA
BTW, the SOPHOS antivirus site has a free newsletter which is excellent on keeping up on things like this, ransomware, etc...
 

Jon

Hall of Fame
Feb 22, 2002
15,635
12,545
282
Atlanta 'Burbs
Oh, I know it is. The best answer is to use ATMs in banks and at places like Costco which inspect and place a seal on their readers each day. On the rare occasions when I use a gas card remotely (I never use a bank card), the reader gets a good going-over. Also, when gas companies try to convert my gas card into a general credit card, I decline...
oddly I am stupidly casual about my debit card
 

TideEngineer08

TideFans Legend
Jun 9, 2009
36,284
30,893
187
Beautiful Cullman, AL
Very interesting article. I would have been far too nervous to try something like that.

Fortunately, the capability exists to shut down the ATM if it is being tampered with. This is happening right here in Alabama, too.
 

Jon

Hall of Fame
Feb 22, 2002
15,635
12,545
282
Atlanta 'Burbs
Very interesting article. I would have been far too nervous to try something like that.

Fortunately, the capability exists to shut down the ATM if it is being tampered with. This is happening right here in Alabama, too.
me too

I once rented a surfboard in Bali Indonesia, where this happened. Came back in from a freaky experience (surfing alone in unknown waters was scarier than I expected) only to be surrounded by a dozen Balinese teenagers demanding I pay for damage to the board. Felt like a pretty standard tourist shakedown so I held firm even though a couple of these kids got really aggressive. Noticed a Bali cop watching, and doing nothing. I'd be really nervous having that device in my possession in that part of the world.
 

Bamabuzzard

FB Moderator
Staff member
Aug 15, 2004
30,555
18,298
237
48
Where ever there's BBQ, Bourbon & Football
I think the store, ATM at banks and other places should have as part of their daily checks and balances to routinely check their machines for these things. Especially banks with drive up ATM's. It should be part of the daily checks and balances. Have an employee (maybe accompanied by another) walk out to the ATM and do a "check" each morning, noon and afternoon. Yes, it's that serious. My business partner had his bank account hacked for $1,200+. The bank wouldn't put the money back into his account until weeks of "investigation and review". The problem is his bills didn't wait weeks for him to get the money back. He was in a MAJOR bind, called the bank and told them as much. They basically told him "That's your problem". He reminded them that it was their software and system that got hacked, not his. But of course they didn't expedite anything.
 

mittman

All-American
Jun 19, 2009
3,942
0
0
Scary stuff.

I can see it being even easier to capture a transaction from a phone pay app.

One thing I have gotten in the habit of doing is changing my PIN every month. Having a rotation of them based on something I can remember instead of just one makes me feel a little safer.
 

TIDE-HSV

Senior Administrator
Staff member
Oct 13, 1999
84,527
39,615
437
Huntsville, AL,USA
I think the store, ATM at banks and other places should have as part of their daily checks and balances to routinely check their machines for these things. Especially banks with drive up ATM's. It should be part of the daily checks and balances. Have an employee (maybe accompanied by another) walk out to the ATM and do a "check" each morning, noon and afternoon. Yes, it's that serious. My business partner had his bank account hacked for $1,200+. The bank wouldn't put the money back into his account until weeks of "investigation and review". The problem is his bills didn't wait weeks for him to get the money back. He was in a MAJOR bind, called the bank and told them as much. They basically told him "That's your problem". He reminded them that it was their software and system that got hacked, not his. But of course they didn't expedite anything.
Banks and most larger chain stores already do this. As I said above, Costco inspects their gas pumps and puts a seal on them every morning. The ones to worry about are free-standing ATMs in convenience stores and similar locations...
 

TIDE-HSV

Senior Administrator
Staff member
Oct 13, 1999
84,527
39,615
437
Huntsville, AL,USA
Scary stuff.

I can see it being even easier to capture a transaction from a phone pay app.

One thing I have gotten in the habit of doing is changing my PIN every month. Having a rotation of them based on something I can remember instead of just one makes me feel a little safer.
This is one area where I resist being dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st century. I refuse to use my phone for banking purchasing or anything related to finances. Anyone breaking into my phone would be sadly disappointed...
 

DzynKingRTR

TideFans Legend
Dec 17, 2003
42,213
29,370
287
Vinings, ga., usa
This is one area where I resist being dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st century. I refuse to use my phone for banking purchasing or anything related to finances. Anyone breaking into my phone would be sadly disappointed...
I am right there with you on this one. My question has always been, what happens if you lose your phone?
 

Bama Reb

Suspended
Nov 2, 2005
14,446
0
0
On the lake and in the woods, AL
This is one area where I resist being dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st century. I refuse to use my phone for banking purchasing or anything related to finances. Anyone breaking into my phone would be sadly disappointed...
You and me both. I use one computer only for my financial transactions. It's password protected and I'm the only one who knows that password. Even Mrs, Reb would have to get into our safe to access it.
I never ever use my phone for such matters.
 

New Posts

Latest threads

TideFans.shop : 2024 Madness!

TideFans.shop - Get YOUR Bama Gear HERE!”></a>
<br />

<!--/ END TideFans.shop & item link \-->
<p style= Purchases made through our TideFans.shop and Amazon.com links may result in a commission being paid to TideFans.