Fake ATM Doesn't Last Long At Hacker Meet
Posted August 5th, 2009
Every now and then you hear a funny news story where criminals act like dummies when trying to do credit card fraud with the wrong crowd.
One such event has occurred this week when criminals running an ATM skimming scam tried to hit it with the Defcon hacker conference in Las Vegas.
The annual conference which takes place at the Riviera Hotel in Sin City attracted attention of scammers and were promptly caught out in the process. When attendees noticed a dodgy looking ATM in the hotel hall they became clued up to it being a fake soon enough.
One conference organiser by the name of Priest said: “They (the attendees) looked at the screen where there would normally be a camera. It was a little bit too dark, so someone shined a flashlight in there and there was a PC.”
The skimming system was setup like a scanner, stealing credit card information and PIN numbers whenever a user would use the ATM.
The problem with a fake ATM is that once a criminal is in the possession of sensitive credit card information he can easily make a fake ATM card and then empty the victim’s account.
Priest further said: “Previously unsophisticated criminal gangs are increasingly using these devices. They’re realising that this is a great way to make money without getting caught.”
“The criminals probably didn’t realise that they were installing their ATM in a hotel that was soon going to be flooded with more than 8,000 security professionals. “
“They were smart enough to place the machine in one of the few spots in the hotel where there was no security camera to catch them. It was literally right next to the hotel security entrance.”
So beware of fake ATM machines and credit card fraud done with skimming. Always be wary of an ATM looks strange and alert the bank if you are unsure whether your card has been abused.
Source: ComputerWorld
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Citibank Clear Platinum Card | A low interest rate offer on balance transfers and purchases | 0% for 6 months (reverts to 11.99% ) | 0% for 6 months | $49 annual fee for the first year ($99 thereafter) | 21.74% | |
St.George Vertigo | An introductory offer on balance transfer and a low annual fee | 13.24% | 2.99% for 6 months | $0 annual fee for the first year ($55 thereafter) | 21.49% | |
Virgin Australia Velocity Flyer Card | Earn 1 velocity point per $1 spent, plus an introductory offer on balance transfers | 20.99% | 2.9% for 6 months | $129 | 20.99% | |
Westpac 55 Day Credit Card | No annul fee for the first year with a low rate on balance transfers and purchases | 0% for 5 months (reverts to 19.59% ) | 0.99% for 9 months with 1% handling fee | $0 annual fee for the first year ($30 thereafter) | 21.49% | |
Identity Theft is so ramped today. It is difficult to find out how to stay on top of our credit to prevent it from crippling our future.