Take a good look at the next ATM you use, with a special interest in any seemingly extraneous cables snaking into the wall. It could be a sign that some crook has commandeered the machine.
ATM manufacturer NCR has a warning out now about a new way to steal your money that’s already successfully robbed NCR and Diebold ATM customers.
Here’s how it works: Using a machine plugged into the ATM’s network cable, scammers can get your card numbers. They get the PIN itself using a separate camera or by dropping a keypad overlay.
“These devices are plugged into the ATM network cables and intercept customer card data,” reads a statement from NCR sent to Krebs on Security. “Additional devices are attached to the ATM to capture the PIN,” NCR warned. “A keyboard overlay was used to attack an NCR ATM, a concealed camera was used on the Diebold ATM. PIN data is then likely transmitted wirelessly to the skimming device.”
In this latest assault on ATMs, the crooks are exclusively targeting standalone machines you’d see on sidewalks in areas with high foot-traffic.
This new method is arguably an even easier way to steal information than the popular point-of-sale skimmers, which were already pretty simple to install, as the thieves simply slip an overlay over the checkout pad to capture your information. You can see an example of that device in this video:
Most ATM skimming operations still install tech on the entry swipe, another point where magnetic cards can be easily read.
