This really isn't news but I feel it is important as it's happened in quite a few locations. 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. The equipment used to capture your ATM card number and PIN is cleverly disguised to look like normal ATM equipment. A "skimmer" is mounted to the front of the normal ATM card slot that reads the ATM card number and transmits it to the criminals sitting in a nearby car. At the same time, a wireless camera is disguised to look like a leaflet holder and is mounted in a position to view ATM PIN entries. 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. Thats all the text, see the pictures here.
The stuff they use in the UK is a little different usually. Normally a black rectangle above the screen, sort of looks like a backlight or something. And a very small skimmer, which is clipped on the front and sticks out of the machine with two indents for your fingers so you can get the card back out. Basically if the top of the screen has a black box attached and the card slot is beveled out of the machine, not set back into it, you're best usuing another cash machine.
How about if you see one, rip the attached reader and 'leaflet holder' off, take them home then smash them to bits with a sledge hammer?
What if you don't use the ATM, take your camera and photograph all of the nearby vehicles, do a quick search for anyone sitting in any of the vehicles, and if a van takes off at mach 2, follow them and call the cops on a cell... if the van stops remove your glock from its holster and prepare for a fight. Vigilantism? Hey, I called the cops on the way... Notifying the bank just seems rediculous to me. What are they going to do? Pull it off... Then criminal z just puts another one on... They really only need a few people to use the ATM while the skimmer is on there... what's the point in taking them off over and over? If the criminals are that organized, and they're getting 3-4 cards off each run, they'll have plenty of $$$$ to buy another one... So I say screw "notifying the bank." I think people need to start looking around for these thieves. That said, since it's using a wireless connection, couldn't anyone with a wireless card and some tools recieve the info on their laptop (assuming they're near the unit)? If that's the case, couldn't they also send out spoofed packets to make the device useless to the thief?
