warning for ATM users

[K2]

got this as an e-mail...


The following advisory has been passed on to us from the local RCMP
Detachment. Accordingly we want to pass it on to all staff as a word of caution when using ATM machines.

Thieves are putting a thin clear, rigid plastic "sleeve" into the ATM card slot. When you insert your card, the machine cannot read the strip, so it keeps asking you to re-enter your pin number. Meanwhile, someone behind you watches as you enter and re-enter your number. Eventually you give up, thinking the machine has captured your card and walk away. The thieves then remove the plastic sleeve complete with card, and empty your account.

The way to avoid this is to run your finger along the card slot before you put your card in. The sleeve has a couple of tiny prongs that the thieves need to get it out of the slot, and you will be able to feel them. Law enforcement would like as many people as possible to be aware of this scam, so please pass this information on to your friends and family and associates.

[faither]

I didn't realize they are able to take the card but I saw on the News last week where the sleeve allows them to steal your PIN and other information contained on the magnetic strip. They are then able to replicate the strip, effectively cloning your card.

[whitak24]

so this is true and not an urban legend?

[avlena]

http://66.165.133.65/index.html

Although the e-mailed alert is an instance of rampant netlore (no author, the details keep shifting, and attempts to run it to ground by finding an actual victim of the scheme usually come to naught), it does reflect a real scam being perpetrated on ATM users: for example, five people were in indicted in New Jersey in March 2001 for operating a crime ring to steal ATM cards and PINs by "plac[ing] a thin, plastic strip into numerous ATM's operated by First Union National Bank throughout New Jersey," and reports of arrests of "Lebanese loop" users turn up in other parts of the world, such as Ireland:

gotta love snopes.com...

[gear02]

This is why you don't use an ATM, instead getting cash back when you use your credit card to buy groceries. I do that since I figure, why not earn points or cash back when I need cash instead of using an ATM.

Or you can be like me and win your own NCAA bracket office pool and not worry about having cash for a while.

[ironchef]

Originally posted by avlena
http://66.165.133.65/index.html
five people were in indicted in New Jersey in March 2001 for operating a crime ring to steal ATM cards and PINs by "plac[ing] a thin, plastic strip into numerous ATM's operated by First Union National Bank throughout New Jersey,"

Holy crap! My mom's card was captured in a FU ATM around this time. Shortly thereafter, about $500 was charged/withdrawn (debit card). We didn't hear anything about arrests, but fortunately only lost $50 in liability.

[Speedfreak]

FU too, buddy.

[skynet]

This has been around for some time. The reader CANNOT STEAL YOUR PIN. Why? Because your Pin is not stored on the card no matter what you think. All that is in that magnetic strip is the info that you can see on the card itself (account number, exp date etc.) And it is really not a thin clear plastic whatever. They are usually bulky and black. Discovery channel did an entire show on this a year or two ago. They had one set up in a mini mart in NJ (Jersey Sucks, Philadelphia ROCKS!) and they had a camera above it to capture the person typing in their pin.

[The Punisher]

Ever heard of ATMs that are entirely fake? They had that on the discovery channel too. You swipe your card giving them your account number and when you enter your pin it records it as well.

[Nija]

Originally posted by skynet
This has been around for some time. The reader CANNOT STEAL YOUR PIN. Why? Because your Pin is not stored on the card no matter what you think. All that is in that magnetic strip is the info that you can see on the card itself (account number, exp date etc.) And it is really not a thin clear plastic whatever.

Meanwhile, someone behind you watches as you enter and re-enter your number. Eventually you give up, thinking the machine has captured your card and walk away. The thieves then remove the plastic sleeve complete with card, and empty your account.

from the original post

the reader gets yur acct #, the person gets your PIN.

And since i'm paranoid, i'm all up on the freakin' machine, ain't no one seeing around me, cause if they are that close, i'll turn around and cop a dickheaded attitude. PERSONAL SPACE JIGGA