ATM skimmers
A little something different today. On a post picked up from Krebs on Security about the evolution of skimmers on ATM machines that are scamming thousands of people out of millions of dollars all over the world. Skimmers have been around for many years, almost ever since ATMs were first introduced people have been trying to scam them. According to the U.S. Secret Service, ATM fraud totaled about $1 billion in 2008. Card skimming, where the fraudster affixes a bogus card reader on top of the real reader, accounts for more than 80 percent of ATM fraud.
This skimmer was found in 2009 outside a Citibank ATM in California. Known to be one of the best examples of evolution of skimmers, this one is very well made and even has a tiny pin hole camera at the bottom to record your movements in entering your pin number.
Below is another example of an ATM skimmer found in Alexandria, USA, February 28 2010. Card skimmers are normally placed at the front of the card reader, and designed to record the data off of the magnetic strip on the back of the card when they are inserted into the machine. These devices can be bought for about $1500 online.
The more advanced devices cost about $8000 and you can get these online from the Russians who can also make these to order depending on what type of ATM you want to hack. Below is a series of pictures of what comes in a ATM skimming set that you can get for about $8000.
Card skimmer with track reader and radio, front side.
The card skimmer, reverse view
Fake PIN pad overlay, front view.
Fake PIN pad overlay, reverse view
Fake PIN pad front view
The designer's devices, attached to a working ATM
Below is another example of a key pin pad overlay that could fool any suspecting user.
And this yellow device was removed from an ATM in 2010 at an unknown location
There is also a new ever increasing threat with these machines coming out. While the banks are trying to shut down the scammers and hackers that are stealing money from their clients. These guys are coming up with ever increasing methods to beat the banks and get your money. There are new GSM skimmers which allow the data being copied to be sent to the scammers via wireless devices so they do not need to come back to the scene of the crime to collect their device. Once they have your information they simply need to make a cloned card and go off and steal your money and disappear, almost never to be found.
Below is a mock up of an ATM and a masked skimmer showing how to attach and reset his skimmer device, used as a training video to the buyers of the device.
To protect yourself from being robbed by ATM skimming its best to always use an ATM inside the actual bank not out on the street, because these machines are never set up to be skimmed due to the high level of security inside a bank. Skimmers usually target ATM machines on the street or with less security around. If you really need to use an ATM but you suspect it has been hacked just walk away. The skimmers are so good these days there is almost no way to tell.
Tomorrow we touch another subject based on ATM skimmers… Fake ATMs!
Until then make sure to protect yourself online and in the street!
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