The Secret Service has warned banks about a new kind of attack on ATMs. This time crooks are using drills to cut physical holes in the machines like the one shown in the photo from Krebs on Security.
The crooks then go through that hole to insert a skimming device to steal data. They attach the skimmer with magnets and then make sure it’s correctly inserted by using an endoscope (yeah, the same device doctors use to look around inside your body) attached to a smartphone to look around and make sure that the skimmer is mounted correctly.
Once the skimmer is installed, it can steal information from the cards that are inserted into the ATM.
While you can’t give thieves points for honesty, you have to credit all that ingenuity. And wonder what they could accomplish if they used their powers for good instead of evil.
These thieves then install a pinhole camera to record the pin numbers being tapped onto the keypad. They’ll sometimes even replace the whole faceplate of the ATM with a new one containing a built-in pinhole camera.
What can you do? If you see anything strange about an ATM, don’t use it! It’s also not a bad idea to cover up your hands when you’re punching in your PIN number. Use a hat, use a piece of paper, if the bank has brochures just unfold one and make a tent. As always, be vigilant.