var json_comments = new Array("
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Jonbo298
April 6, 2009 7:57 PM
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Nice job being on top of it. Can't imagine the expression the person who placed it will get when they discover it's gone.

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4 replies
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Dooley
April 7, 2009 8:52 PM
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@Jonbo298: Hopefully the ATM security camera WILL see that face.

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rioja951 - Why, oh why must I be assigned to the vehicle maintenance when my specialty is demolitions?
April 6, 2009 11:49 PM
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@Jonbo298: While a good catch it was slightly dangerous. Sometimes the perps stakeout the ATM (this is more common when using a trap, rather than the skimmer).
I once had an ugly encounter with one of these kind of lowlife while doing a tour of duty as part of the embassy guard force. I discovered the trap and when I took it out the perp came to try and recover it, luckily i had my service weapon and he saw the holster when fighting for the thing. Never saw anybody run faster than that idiot.
If he had known the kind of shit I'd have been if I pulled the gun on him.

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snclfe
April 6, 2009 8:13 PM
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@Jonbo298:
Really? I imagine elaborate operations that place lots of these and are very happy if they recover half of them.

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rpm773
April 6, 2009 7:59 PM
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My MO has always been to withdraw cash from banks instead of gas stations and other non-bank-affiliated ATMs, to stave off this sort of thing.

So much for that security blanket.

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6 replies
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Alessar
April 7, 2009 2:30 PM
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@rpm773: I just get extra cash when I check out at the supermarket.

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Julia789
April 6, 2009 10:30 PM
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@rpm773: They hit banks too - very boldly. It's not just gas stations ATMs anymore. Someone put a skimmer on the Bank of America ATM near me in Connecticut last month. Right in the lobby of the bank, in front of security cameras and everything.

Someone noticed the tinest glob of dried glue on the edge of the skimmer, and that was the only thing that tipped them off. They had also installed a tiny camera off to the side, to record the PIN numbers as people entered them.

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rpm773
April 7, 2009 1:43 AM
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@Julia789: Huh. I guess I was hoping that someone...you know...from the bank might actually go out and check the machine once or a while. Alas...

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Julia789
April 7, 2009 12:59 PM
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@rpm773: In fairness to the bank, I think the skimmer might have been installed on, say, a Friday night, and scamming people all throughout the weekend. Perhaps the criminals intended to remove it prior to Monday morning when the bank employees might have inspected the machine?

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bbb111
April 7, 2009 7:01 AM
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@rpm773: \"I was hoping that someone...you know...from the bank might actually go out and check the machine once or a while.\"

Actually, at some banks the manager who opens in the morning is required to inspect the ATM. I was told this by one manager I know.

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formatc
April 7, 2009 2:36 PM
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@bbb111: \"Actually, at some banks the manager who opens in the morning is required to inspect the ATM. I was told this by one manager I know.\"

Well you'd think that would be standard procedure while they are restocking it. At the grocery store where I used to work they would tear down the machine to put the money in the safe every night and then restock it the next morning. It only takes one lazy manager to make it work, or even worse, a manager on the take, to get away with something like that.

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Julia789
April 6, 2009 10:27 PM
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Go back and look for the camera they installed, too!

There is either a fake keypad on top of the real keypad, or a camera recording people as they enter their PIN number.

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rpm773
April 6, 2009 8:00 PM
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@rpm773: Actually, that was before BofA starting hitting me for $2.50 on the back-end of a non-network ATM. Now I just go there.

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lonestarbl
April 6, 2009 8:12 PM
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@rpm773:
Live Free!!


Liberty Bank pays back all monthly ATM fees at the end of each period. LOVE IT! (Just keep a $25 balance in a savings account... that's it)

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juri squared
April 6, 2009 9:27 PM
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@lonestarbl: I have an account at Park National (after our little local bank was bought up by them) and I recently noticed they've started a similar plan. I need to see if it's on my account, because YAY.

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AoE
April 6, 2009 8:30 PM
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@lonestarbl: Do you work for them? I ask because you seem awfully excited about Liberty Bank... almost like the forced excitement of an employee...

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lonestarbl
April 6, 2009 9:07 PM
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@AoE: Not at all... just surprised that people still pay ATM fees. Even more surprised by people that complain about AND still pay ATM fees

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HogwartsAlum
April 6, 2009 9:38 PM
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@lonestarbl:

My bank doesn't charge a fee unless I go to another bank's ATM. Then I pay my bank's fee on top of the other one. Luckily, there are lots of Commerce ATMs here.

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perruptor
April 7, 2009 6:32 PM
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@HogwartsAlum: My *credit union* doesn't charge me any ATM fees, ever - regardless of where I use the card. Banks exist to part you from your money.

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Applekid
April 6, 2009 8:40 PM
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@AoE: \"Beatings will continue until morale improves.\"

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lifestar
April 6, 2009 8:01 PM
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Dang that is really disturbing. Plus, for a normal layperson that card skimmer looks just like the entry point of most ATM card readers. If a person like me were to put our cards in at night time, don't think I'd caught the difference. Good job man!

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qxrt
April 6, 2009 8:01 PM
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Considering that ATMs have cameras, it would be awfully risky for anyone who actually got caught doing this. I wonder how the police would catch him/her, though...setting up a 24-hour watch over the ATM seems like an inefficient way to use resources, and security cameras tend to have such bad detail that it seems that it would be easy to avoid recognition through the video by just wearing a cap or a scarf.

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7 replies
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Anonymous
April 7, 2009 2:57 PM
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Actually, it would be easy to see when the unit was placed, if it can be read. Compare the bank transaction record with the Scammer transaction register and you can tell by transactions when it was installed. There are probably other security cameras in the area then that saw everyone who came up to the ATM. Then use time-stamps to determine which person was the perp. Then it's a matter of identifying them.

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deadandy
April 6, 2009 8:13 PM
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@qxrt: I've worked with law enforcement enough to know that pictures or video of the perp does little good unless someone can identify the thief right away. It's not like they take it downtown and start comparing it with mugshots. At best, it's only evidence if and when they catch the person via other means.

I used to manage a video store and I could show the cops video of someone stealing movies. They would just go, \"Yeah, great\" and wander off to fill out their paperwork.

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tgrwillki
April 6, 2009 8:10 PM
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@qxrt: Actually, the PIN is stored on your bank cards.

You can test this with an un-networked chip authenticator.

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West Coast Secessionist
April 7, 2009 4:41 AM
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@tgrwillki: In the US our cards don't even have chips :) Well, except the RFID cards which are few and far between.

The PIN isn't stored on the card.

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Nogard13
April 7, 2009 6:34 PM
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@West Coast Secessionist:

I know for a fact that it isn't because I changed my ATM pin on my banks website from my mobile phone and used the card, with the new pin, about 30 seconds later.

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humphrmi
April 6, 2009 8:04 PM
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@qxrt: It's been a while since I checked into this, but the last I heard, the ATM camera only snaps pictures when a transaction occurs. So in those cases, they won't get a picture of the scammer attaching the skimmer.

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faust1200
April 6, 2009 8:35 PM
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@humphrmi: I'd heard that most standard atm cameras only record in image when the card is inserted and when the money pops out.

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IphtashuFitz
April 6, 2009 8:13 PM
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@humphrmi: That's likely only the camera that's physically inside the ATM. Many ATM kiosks also have external cameras that film the entire kiosk area 24x7. If they only filmed when a transaction occurs then there would likely be a huge rate of robberies that occur immediately after ATM withdrawals.

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Kimaroo - 100% Pure Natural Kitteh
April 6, 2009 8:02 PM
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I don't use ATMs but if I did I hope I would be able to tell that one of these had been attatched.

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nato0519
April 6, 2009 8:02 PM
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Maybe you'll get lucky and the owner of the skimmer will report it missing.

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iowahighlander
April 6, 2009 8:03 PM
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He needs to look for a video camera that records what your pin number is. Thieves need both info to make fake atm cards.

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11 replies
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ecwis
April 7, 2009 2:59 AM
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@iowahighlander: The PIN is stored on the magnetic strip.

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Robert Stevens
April 7, 2009 8:22 PM
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@ecwis:

No, it's not. I've programmed applications to read card data. There would be no point to having a PIN if you coded it on the card.

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Anonymous
April 7, 2009 3:16 AM
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@ecwis: This simply isn't true. PIN, CVV codes, address, etc aren't stored on the card. The only items on the card are Card Number, Cardholder Name and Exp Date and some other things that matter a lot less. While its true that there is room for additional information on the card I'm not aware of that ever having been used to store a PIN...and I'm sure if it was it'd be encrypted. I mean, I for one can call and change my PIN number without doing anything in the card....and yes I do work in the payment card industry.

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iowahighlander
April 6, 2009 9:14 PM
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@iowahighlander:


I stand corrected. I now really hate my combined bank card that I was forced to get instead of a plain ATM card.

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arl84
April 17, 2009 4:58 AM
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@iowahighlander: It's not that big of a deal. If someone did go shopping on that card online, your bank would refund the transactions within 5 mins of being on the phone. It's nice to know that you can use it that way if you have to, in an emergency.

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From the cubicle of PGibbons
April 8, 2009 6:58 PM
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@iowahighlander: I ALWAYS reject the debit card and tell them I want a plain vanilla ATM card.

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bbb111
April 7, 2009 7:09 AM
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@iowahighlander: \"I stand corrected. I now really hate my combined bank card that I was forced to get instead of a plain ATM card.\"

Complain at the bank to the branch manager. At \"Bank of the West\" one could just not activate the credit card portion of the card (calling the 800 number from home) and the ATM would work fine. Then they changed it so that both were activated at the same time. The account rep that I talked to told me that they couldn't do anything about it. The next time I was in the branch, the Branch Manager came to me and informed me that you can get a plain ATM card, but policy was not to mention it unless they felt the customer might leave over it.

SO... complain again and tell them you are shopping for a new bank. Your mileage may vary.....

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wagenejm
April 6, 2009 8:27 PM
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@iowahighlander: As others have said, the card number could be used to make online purchases, rather than as a debit card.

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sirwired
April 6, 2009 8:07 PM
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@iowahighlander: If you have a ATM/debit card, a thief could still make purchases, even without your PIN; they just can't pull raw cash.

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qxrt
April 6, 2009 8:06 PM
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@iowahighlander: I'm not too familiar with what information is stored on a magnetic strip, but would you really need the pin number? It seems as if you can buy anything online these days with just the credit card number, expiration date, name, and address, which might all be stored on the card.

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Chumas
April 6, 2009 8:04 PM
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This is the reason I always whack the card reader a little to see if it may be loose.

Probably a couple dozen-hundreds of numbers on the damn thing. The scammer who dropped it is gonna be mighty pissed.

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1 replies
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Firethorn
April 7, 2009 5:24 PM
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@Chumas:
I'd say more likely to simply write it off as a cost of doing business, much like drug runners and go-fast boats.


In bulk, the thing probably costs less than $100 to put together with the appropriate know-how, and you can get that back with the first scam purchase.

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Kristina White Godwin
April 6, 2009 8:04 PM
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Wow - thanks for the pictures. I will warn my friends and family - now that I have images to help show what to look out for.

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1 replies
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queenlizzie
April 6, 2009 11:54 PM
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@Kristina White Godwin: I wanted to do the same, but can't tell what's different. I don't think I'd notice this if it were on my ATM machine. I guess you just need to whack the card entry point a few times to see if it falls off? Crazy.

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humphrmi
April 6, 2009 8:07 PM
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What I'm curious about is this - I thought skimmer operations had to be more complex because they need the PIN in order to access the account. I remember hearing a story about skimmers that had also attached tiny wireless cameras pointed at the keypad that transmitted back pins.

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3 replies
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Sarcasmo48
April 11, 2009 4:08 PM
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@humphrmi: Being that there are more and more Visa check cards out there, you can still do a lot of damage with the card number not using the pin. Its why I never ever use a 3rd party atm. i'll check my BBT one now too!

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Quake 'n' Shake
April 6, 2009 8:40 PM
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@humphrmi: Oh yeah, I've read about the camera thing too. This article mentions thievs attaching cameras:
The Moring Call


Although, it is a crappy newspaper, so maybe their source was that CSI episode.

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Jakuub
April 6, 2009 8:11 PM
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@humphrmi: A story, or the episode of CSI that had that exact setup in it? I've no idea if that episode was based on a real example, or if your memory is just mixing the two... (no offense intended)

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Kogenta
April 6, 2009 8:08 PM
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All the ATMs around here have started attaching these green plastic things ove the card insert slots that have a small picture of a lock on them.


I assume that it's function is that you can't just stick your fake card reader over the bank's platic protector that juts out of the card slot by a good half inch minimum without it being really really obvious.


Guess that's why criminals have moved onto trying to steal and swap pin pads at gas stations here.

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3 replies
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Dragonis
April 6, 2009 8:40 PM
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@Kogenta:
Yeah, they have those at the local CIBC branch too. The ones near me are see-through, I assume so that you can tell that there is nothing in them.

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From the cubicle of PGibbons
April 8, 2009 7:00 PM
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@Dragonis: clear ones would be the way to go. should be standard on them all.

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huadpe
April 6, 2009 9:20 PM
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@Dragonis: It seems like the logical thing to do would be to make a green plastic skimmer with a smiling lock on it. At least it's a nod at the problem though.

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Jfielder
April 6, 2009 8:08 PM
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Well at least someone honest found it. I'm sure there's people that could've found that and used it for their own thievery. Good work! Thanks for being one of the good guys!

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floraposte
April 6, 2009 8:09 PM
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I wouldn't have given the slot in that picture a second thought--it looks perfectly normal to me. Good warning here, and kudos to Dan for quick thinking.

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Julius Seizure
April 6, 2009 8:14 PM
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In an effort to prevent just this sort of thing, the Royal Bank (of Canada, eh?) super glued a weirdly shaped shield over the card slots - allowing the entry of a card but precious little to glue these things to.

Trouble was, they neglected to advertise they'd done this. When I approached the machine, the \"safety device\" looked so out of place, I went into the branch to report it as a skimmer. The poor receptionist said (for likely the 1000th time that morning) \"No, it's not a skimmer. It's SUPPOSED to be there.\"

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2 replies
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annexw
April 6, 2009 9:04 PM
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@Julius Seizure. Jim to my Peeps:

Huh, that must vary place to place as the RBC machines near me all had a \"See something new?\" poster when the locks went in.

they came down eventually, but maybe the lock there went in before the poster?

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Julius Seizure
April 6, 2009 11:01 PM
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@annexw: Tiniest ATM enclosure I've ever seen - likely someone was out back using scissors to cut down the poster.

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aguacarbonica
April 6, 2009 8:15 PM
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I hardly ever take money out of the ATM. Now I feel justified in using my debit card for transactions, because I know I wouldn't have noticed the skimmer. If I do start using more cash in the future, I am going to start going into the bank itself.

Damn, this is an unfortunate year to be graduating college. My fiscal sense is all messed up and paranoid. I'm probably going to end up keeping my money between my mattresses.

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1 replies
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From the cubicle of PGibbons
April 8, 2009 7:03 PM
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@aguacarbonica: If you are lucky enough to HAVE a mattress in these Wall Street coup times.

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HarcourtArmstrong
April 6, 2009 8:16 PM
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Has anybody noticed some gas stations have handicapped credit card readers lately? When I first saw one, I thought it was a skimmer.

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bobbycreekwater
April 6, 2009 8:19 PM
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Criminals would find it a waste of time to \"skim\" my card as the funds usually stay pretty in all my accounts with debit card access. I keep all my cash in 2nd checking accounts with no attached debit cards.

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2 replies
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Rectilinear Propagation
April 7, 2009 12:56 PM
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@bobbycreekwater: But does your bank do you the 'favor' of overdraft protection? If the crook can overdraw your account they won't have to care how much cash you actually have.

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secretoftheeast
April 6, 2009 8:21 PM
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After hearing about the card skimmer problems, I've been paranoid and always examine the readers closely. There's also been an issue with Redbox (the DVD rental kiosk) that was covered by consumerist: [consumerist.com]

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1 replies
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Jackie Cipa
April 6, 2009 8:32 PM
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@secretoftheeast: My local Redbox installed these bar sort of things that project out to prevent the installation of the kind of skimmer pictured in that post. The problem is, it prevents a lot of people (such as myself) from swiping cards properly, causing misreads. It gets really frustrating-- after the fifth misread, I give up.

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Brian Taylor
April 6, 2009 8:23 PM
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It seems like the better move would have been to speak with the police first. They may have wanted to wait and see who came back to recover the skimmer and bust the jackass. But then again you wouldn't have a sweet skimmer for 24 hours...

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11 replies
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Rectilinear Propagation
April 7, 2009 12:58 PM
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@Brian Taylor: How do the cops keep people from using the thing in the meantime?

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Brian Taylor
April 13, 2009 5:32 PM
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@Rectilinear Propagation: I guess it wouldn't really be an issue, since the data would never make it back to the thief's hands.

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SarcasticDwarf
April 6, 2009 9:41 PM
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@Brian Taylor: You make the ridiculous assumption that the police would do anything. Those of us who have actually tried to work with the police on anything short of murder know that they rarely do more than file a report.

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From the cubicle of PGibbons
April 8, 2009 7:07 PM
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@SarcasticDwarf: ...even in a murder case. But don't steal a pizza in California - your ass is going to jail for a quarter of a century.

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madanthony
April 7, 2009 12:36 AM
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@SarcasticDwarf:

Years ago, I had the rims stolen off my cars - it was left on blocks. When I called the police non-emergency number, they laughed and asked me if I knew who did it.

You can bet if I knew who did it, I wouldn't have been calling the cops - I would have been going after them with a baseball bat.

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catastrophegirl chooses not to fly
April 6, 2009 10:59 PM
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@SarcasticDwarf: yeah, i filed a police report the day my bike was stolen [many years ago.] the same city police recovered it the next day. and put it in a storage locker for a year until the unclaimed property auction [in the meantime i had to find another way to get everywhere since my bike was my sole means of transport]

it was a sheer accident that i got it back at all - apparently usually they don't run the serial numbers of the bikes in the unclaimed property warehouse against the stolen property reports.

too bad they found it wet in a ditch in the rain, put it away wet in a dark unventilated warehouse for a year. so a year after my bike was stolen i got instead of a really nice schwinn, a bunch of rust with some decayed rubbery foam where the handlebars used to be and the 'new' brakes were actually rusted to the tire rims. and the tires.... ugh. ghastly.

if they had checked the serial numbers on the day they found and returned it to me even a few days later it i could have easily dried it off and saved it.

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AirIntake
April 6, 2009 10:28 PM
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@SarcasticDwarf: No kidding. The police will definitely not stake out an ATM, as they would rather be conducting check stops or speed traps. If a private citizen were to stake out the ATM themselves and detain the suspect, the police would likely charge them with vigilantism. Nowadays, it seems all police deal with is murder or anything that they can get ticket money from. Everything in between falls through the cracks.

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audemars
April 6, 2009 10:25 PM
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@SarcasticDwarf: LOL. Isn't that the truth.

\"You mean you didn't catch the guy that stole your shit? Ohh you expect us to? Well if you know where he's at, then we'll be happy to go get him, otherwise, we'll let you know if we find anything.\"

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outoftheblew
April 6, 2009 8:35 PM
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@Brian Taylor: I don't think they'd be able to bust anyone, even if a cop was standing there. Everyone has reason to walk up to an ATM. If someone saw their skimmer wasn't there, they could turn around and say, \"Oops, I forgot my wallet.\" There wouldn't be any suspicious activity to point to any particular person.

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HiPwr
April 6, 2009 9:27 PM
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@outoftheblew: I think he's saying leave the skimmer in place and stakeout the ATM until the asshole comes to reclaim his prize.

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ironchef
April 6, 2009 8:28 PM
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the scam usually requires a another camera to capture the PIN entry too.

So check that ATM for a hidden camera while you are at it.

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1 replies
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UX4themasses
April 7, 2009 1:17 PM
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@ironchef: I think this has been mentioned before however you do not need the PIN for anything other than a CASH withdrawal or a debit. Most bank cards will act as credit cards. The scammer only needs to the stuff on the magnetic strip. They can use any site that doesn't require that 3 digit number (which as far as I know and I may be wrong, that number is not on the strip).

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AbsurdHero
April 6, 2009 8:28 PM
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It seems extremely irresponsible of the police to just let WaMu run their own private investigation, not to mention leaving Dan in possession of a collection of stolen ATM card numbers on a flash card. Bumbling like that is a major reason identity theft is so common.

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4 replies
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theysaidwhat
April 7, 2009 12:18 PM
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@AbsurdHero: I suppose they don't consider it a crime until someone reports that their card number has been stolen.

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heltoupee
April 6, 2009 9:44 PM
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@AbsurdHero: Sounds like WaMu has Dan's fingerprints on a load of stolen ATM numbers. I wouldn't be surprised, what with no good deed going unpunished, and all that. :)

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faust1200
April 6, 2009 8:40 PM
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@AbsurdHero: I agree. You would think the police might like to have it as evidence, then again, they don't need any evidence if they don't plan on trying to find the criminals.

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humphrmi
April 6, 2009 10:12 PM
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@faust1200: Leads, yeah, sure. I'll just check with the boys down at the crime lab, they've got four more detectives working on the case. They got us working in shifts!

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redkamel
April 7, 2009 4:09 AM
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@humphrmi: no wonder you have a star.

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lannister80
April 7, 2009 3:02 AM
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@humphrmi: At least he got his Creedence back.

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Dragonis
April 6, 2009 8:29 PM
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The bank branch I go to most often has a translucent green spacer attached to the card reader. Makes it impossible for anything to be stuck on them.

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Hawk07
April 6, 2009 8:34 PM
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Can I have my CC skimmer back now?

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2 replies
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JollyJumjuck
April 6, 2009 9:35 PM
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@Hawk07: Sure. Meet me behind the mall around 1 a.m. Pay no mind to the six guys with baseball bats. We'll make sure you get your...ah...skimmer.

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GiuliettaGanymede
April 7, 2009 2:22 AM
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@JollyJumjuck: Make that seven guys with bats, because I'll be there to help you.

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rawsteak
April 6, 2009 8:35 PM
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is it really a good idea to take the thing off and report it though? i think i would have called the police and waited for them to get there so that they could start an investigation, and maybe even set something up to catch the person who put it there.

or do i watch too much tv?

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Zenatrul
April 6, 2009 8:49 PM
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I like how my bank's ATM/ABM is setup. Since where the card goes in recessed so a skimmer would look highly out of place on them.
Heres a image of one.


[farm4.static.flickr.com]

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Chuck Reynolds
April 6, 2009 9:05 PM
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I'm saddened that the cops didn't do anything other than be interested in actually seeing one of the units. No finger prints or anything?
Identity theft is so easy to do and there's not much you can do to combat it once it's happened... or just go all liquid? hah.

I'd HOPE that wamu would go through the video on that machine and find out who it was or at least get a grainy image to the cops.

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theysaidwhat
April 7, 2009 12:20 PM
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@Chuck Reynolds: It would have finger prints of so many people on it that I doubt it would be any help.

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HogwartsAlum
April 6, 2009 9:43 PM
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@Chuck Reynolds:

Fingerprints would be useless after the OP pulled it off!

If the cops there are shorthanded like the cops here are (short about 30 officers), then I'm not surprised they didn't bother.

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orlo
April 6, 2009 9:15 PM
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@Hawk07: Don't listen to this scammer. It was my skimmer.

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ivanthemute
April 6, 2009 9:06 PM
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Great catch, hero tag is for subby.


/slash
//because I can :)

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RecordStoreToughGuy_starcommandseries.com
April 7, 2009 10:13 PM
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@ivanthemute: Ye Gods I am so sick of the Fark posters! Whose bright idea was it to let them in?!

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forgottenpassword
April 6, 2009 9:07 PM
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The police should disable it & put it back, stake out the bank & catch the POS thief that put it there.


ps. I only use my bank's atm & know what each looks like. I'm paranoid about this kind of thing.

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MumblesFumbles
April 6, 2009 9:17 PM
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Speaking as someone who has handled forensic investigations for corporations, I would like to point out some mistakes. First issue is that you handled the evidence. You should not touch the device. First thing is to contact the local police. Why not WaMu? Well, as has probably been pointed out, WaMu is probably not required to report a breach. In fact, I would guarantee that their incident response plan specifies that only certain high level personnel are authorized to contact law enforcement. However, if you contact law enforcement, then that automatically will set into motion a proper investigation. Which brings up my second point about handling the device. From an evidence standpoint, it would be better if you did not handle the device and rather let law enforcement deal with it. Should law enforcement be able to build a case your handling of the device may raise doubt about the validity of forensic evidence. Leave the device to your local or state law enforcement agency. They can properly collect the device.

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From the cubicle of PGibbons
April 8, 2009 8:21 PM
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@MumblesFumbles: Umh hmh. From what the OP wrote, it doesn't sound like his local police are equipped to do a proper investigation. They'd pull it off and get donut grease all over it, then \"ooh\" and \"aah\" about all the newfangled tech attached.

Hate to break it to you, but odds are that your local Barney Fife isn't trained, authorized or interested in properly addressing this sort of thing. Talk with anyone who has been a victim of identity theft and you will soon realize that it's the wild west out there and this new world is no country for old men.

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djsyndrome
April 6, 2009 9:19 PM
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Not the first time this has happened at a WaMu ATM.

[www.ranchocordovapost.com]

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SexCpotatoes
April 6, 2009 9:21 PM
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Now with braille! So we can skim the blind people's info as well!

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EllenRose
April 6, 2009 9:25 PM
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I've tried to give evidence to policemen, and they fought like wildcats to avoid taking it. That was years ago, but I don't see how things would be different today. Evidence = paperwork. Nobody becomes an officer to do paperwork.

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turnerm5
April 6, 2009 9:26 PM
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There was a skimmer on the ATM at the Ballard Bank of America here in Seattle on Sun. The people directly ahead of me let me know, wrote a big note for everyone to see, and called the cops. I had also never seen one in person...

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dougp26364
April 6, 2009 9:41 PM
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I'm sorry, I just can't get past the part where he was going to withdraw some cash money. Is there any other kind?


Orignially, I thought that the thing to do would have been to leave it and allow the police to catch who ever put it there. Then I realized that they probably would never have the man power, or desire, to stake out an ATM machine, waiting for someone to come pick up their skimmer.


It would be nice if the bank could pull information off the skimmer to lead the police to the person that put it there but, my bet is a report will be filed and the skimmer will be destroyed and placed in the trash.

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Rectilinear Propagation
April 7, 2009 1:02 PM
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I'm sorry, I just can't get past the part where he was going to withdraw some cash money. Is there any other kind?

@dougp26364: Electronic money. I like to move some of it from my regular checking account to my savings each payday.

Of course, it would be hard to withdraw 0s and 1s.

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doireallyneedausername
April 6, 2009 9:46 PM
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I make it a point to pick at the card slot at any ATM now. Btw, what's with the new stuttering motor when you insert your card into Wells Fargo and WaMu ATM's? Is that to defeat the card skimmers?

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Christopher Carey
April 6, 2009 9:49 PM
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I bet they were pulling the Visa numbers instead with that. Seems like there would be more to actually read the card. I can't see anything that would actually slide against it on the magnetic side.

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howie_in_az
April 6, 2009 10:25 PM
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I wonder if the data on the flash drive is encrypted in any way -- if not, wouldn't scammers just steal each other's skimmers?

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Yoko Broke Up The Beatles
April 6, 2009 11:08 PM
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Am I the only one who now feels MORE paranoid after reading this?!

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Outrun1986
April 6, 2009 11:10 PM
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Sounds like a good idea to pull at the card reader a little before you use the ATM these days especially since a skimmer was used recently in my area.

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Rawley Greene
April 6, 2009 11:19 PM
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I know they need a PIN to use it as an ATM card or debit, but what if they just made fake cards to use to purchase stuff using the credit feature? all that requires is a signature--if that even.

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Anonymous
April 6, 2009 11:22 PM
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its not hard to defeat the skimmers if you think about it. Just install two light sensitive diodes like your front porch light if you have one. But they do come smaller. If they get covered from light for a certain period then the flap on the card insert closes and alerts the bank. Problem solved. Of course it is a cat and mouse game then.

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D0rk
April 6, 2009 11:29 PM
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How do they use the number as a credit purchase online without the 3-digit security number located on the back of the card?


Is that stored on the magnetic strip too?

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SabreDC
April 6, 2009 11:56 PM
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@D0rk: That code is just a hash of the card number and expiration date. It's not a published algorithm like verifying a card number, but I'm sure it's not as private as credit card companies think.

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Cocotte
April 6, 2009 11:39 PM
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most of the ATMs in my town now have a flush point of entry for the card and a note saying that there shouldn't be anything there.

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From the cubicle of PGibbons
April 8, 2009 8:04 PM
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@Cocotte: So I guess the scammers will need to print up a sign to cover THAT sign saying there should be a protuberance over the slot.

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exploded
April 6, 2009 11:51 PM
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I wonder if this happened to me. A few weeks ago I had $300 taken out of my account from a bank ATM, even though the card never left my possession. The fraud department at my bank said that they probably downloaded my info onto a blank card. That means that they somehow got a hold of my PIN as well.

Luckily it was only $300, and the bank refunded it to my account within a couple of days. The bank was actually the one who called me and noticed it first...

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yagisencho
April 6, 2009 11:59 PM
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I watch out for this type of skullduggery each time I swipe my card, but wow...that's pretty convincing. Right down to the braille. Unless the braille has a typo...

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Triterion
April 7, 2009 12:09 AM
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The police should have taken the SD card out, and replaced it with a homing beacon and put it back where it was. Then they just follow it when it leaves and BLAMO! Robber Caught! (Oh yeah, homing beacons are expensive never mind)

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chocolate1234
April 7, 2009 1:00 AM
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Wow, kudos to this guy for catching it!

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Blinky987
April 7, 2009 1:29 AM
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You, sir, are a hero. This post is awesome and the kind of work that should be on the Consumerist.

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From the cubicle of PGibbons
April 8, 2009 8:05 PM
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@Blinky987: No way - how can we \"blame the OP\" for this sort of thing?

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GiuliettaGanymede
April 7, 2009 2:29 AM
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I'm willing to bet the skimmer was put there by AIG.

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From the cubicle of PGibbons
April 8, 2009 8:06 PM
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@GiuliettaGanymede: This is small potatoes. AIG has their own skimmer attached directly to the Treasury.

And, Goldman Sachs has a skimmer attached to AIG.

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TuxRug
April 7, 2009 2:41 AM
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I always do a quick inspection of any ATM I am about to use. I check that if there is a camera visible, it is pointed at my face, not the keypad. If there is anything mounted in a position that a camera hidden inside it would have a view of the screen, keypad, or card slot, I inspect it thouroughly. I also check for skimmers, if the card slot is not flush with the system, I don't use it. I check for the hook-and-loop tactic of trapping the card by running my finger over the card slot before using it. I also make sure the machine itself is not an obvious fake, I check the brand name on the machine is a well-known brand and not misspelled or with a damaged logo. If the cables behind it are visible, I look quickly to make sure they haven't been tampered with. Also, If there's only one or more than two connectors, I would become suspicious (one power, one data, MAYBE one redundant data). I dismiss it immediately if there are any signs of an antenna or \"aftermarket addon\".

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From the cubicle of PGibbons
April 8, 2009 8:08 PM
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@TuxRug: By the time you are done, probably would have been worth waiting in line at the teller, or until the next day when the bank opens...

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ElizabethD
April 7, 2009 2:44 AM
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Well, I am a vindicated dinosaur. I still cash CHECKS at actual BANKS (i.e., at the counter inside). I don't own an ATM card.

Go ahead - scoff. (Listen, I only started pumping my own gas two years ago. Some things take time.)

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Yamunation
April 7, 2009 4:23 AM
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@ElizabethD:
Why? Because you don't trust technology or because you feel it has passed you by?

I'm seriously sincerely, curious.

Paying bills through snail mail takes longer, and is worse for the environment. If you pay online, you can save a lot of envelopes and paper. And i don't feel that ATMs (inside a bank) are safer than the teller. The inside of a bank is where the bank robbers come in with guns.

And you might find yourself in an emergency situation where you need money. How do you get that if you don't have an ATM card?

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Grrrrrrr, now with two buns made of bacon.
April 7, 2009 3:17 AM
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It's possible that the thieves don't even know the skimmer is missing. If the police were smart, they'd put a replica of the thing back on the ATM (minus the electronics, of course and with better double-sided tape) and set up multiple hidden surveillance cameras on that ATM.

Law enforcement should be able to read the card numbers out of the thing and the bank could check the numbers against bank records, giving them a reasonable idea of how long it has been in place.

Scary stuff.

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From the cubicle of PGibbons
April 8, 2009 8:11 PM
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@Comrade ☠Grяrяrяrяrяrяrя reporting for duty!: This assumes the police are interested in catching identity thieves and other such criminals. Basically, they aren't. Fast and easily accessible money is the siren song for our economy, and anything that impedes fast commerce is frowned upon. Banks will get more bailouts from the government, and the victims of this stuff *might* get compensated if they have the energy to fight it and \"prove\" their case, etc.

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Grrrrrrr, now with two buns made of bacon.
April 9, 2009 3:47 AM
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@PGibbons: I wish I could say I disagreed with you, but I don't. This wouldn't be an \"easy\" case, nor would it be particularly \"visible\" to the public. Police much rather be out harassing motorists or arresting somebody for smoking a joint. This one would require actual work with no guarantee of any success.

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RimkaIzumo
April 7, 2009 8:42 AM
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It's things like this that make me very very glad that I have ING direct. Literally seconds after I make any sort of purchase/withdrawl/transfer or ANYTHING I get a nice email declaring the amount taken out and the location.

Things like this make me feel secure so that even if I did get scimmed, I would know right away.

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sumgai
April 7, 2009 11:41 AM
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The smart thing to do would be leave it on the ATM, have the police set up surveillance, and nab the scumbags who come back to pick up the skimmer. Done deal.

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From the cubicle of PGibbons
April 8, 2009 8:13 PM
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@sumgai: They'll get a low level soldier, that's it. \"Mr. Big\" is probably insulated behind several layers.

It's only your money, not like they're kids dealing dime bags of pot. Cops have to have their focus their priorities you know....

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johnfrombrooklyn
April 7, 2009 11:46 AM
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I'm surprised this person wasn't arrested and thrown in jail. Isn't that what happened at Bank of America when a guy got a counterfeit check in the mail and took it to the branch to report it? Instead they arrested him.

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Nettwerk
April 7, 2009 2:28 PM
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Yea that's like picking up and handing in drugs lol

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synergy
April 7, 2009 2:43 PM
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Hmm. I rarely to never had need to carry cash and that's usually only because the $20 I pulled out last time has been depleted from having to use it somewhere that for some unknown reason doesn't take plastic. However, when I do, I do it from a bank and it's always the same one which doesn't have anything external. It just eats my card while I do my transaction.

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mariospants
April 7, 2009 2:45 PM
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Interested to know what the capacity of card was...


Regardless, there might be some good incriminating evidence hidden on that memory card. Would be interested if the OP could do a recovery on the card and see what (if anything) there is on it besides card numbers. (i.e. photos from a digital camera, documents...) but actually, thinking on that, it's also possible that the OP could be charged with illegally accessing card information so best to leave it alone.

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ZukeZuke
April 7, 2009 5:19 PM
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Wow, nice find by Dan! I wouldn't have batted an eye at that thing, looks totally authentic down to the braille. These thieves need to be shot, seriously.

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GreatWhiteNorth
April 7, 2009 7:54 PM
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Dude... shouldn't there have been a wee little camera attached to the ceiling to record your keypad activity... you know the PIN number... Look for that too.

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xkevin108x
April 7, 2009 9:54 PM
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I always pick at the card slots on ATMs since I first read about these devices years ago.

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Anonymous
April 7, 2009 11:31 PM
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You always seem to hear about this happening at Financial Institutions ATMs. That's one reason why I only get cash from my bank or use those private ATMs. They seem to be newer, and have readers that are more secure. I only use ATMs where I never have to give my card away as well, I think they're called dip readers.

Hope this helps you too.

Mike

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prodpoke
April 8, 2009 1:56 AM
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is it safe to say that its cool that wachovia has a huge flashy card slot that would be difficult to replicate and paste something over...?

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Anonymous
April 8, 2009 9:09 AM
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#1. That is not a skimmer. That is some fake mod job faceplate this guy made up at home to gain media attention or try to scam the bank for a little fame, attention, or profit (reward of some sort).#2. LOOK CLOSE....where is the \"skimmer\"? All I see is a slot with some crap usb port stuck to the back. Where is the \"skimming\" hardware? Non existent.

It was a nice try, but really a bad mock up. Try harder next time.

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Jonno Wade
April 8, 2009 12:16 PM
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Why does everyone think they need the PIN # for this to work? Almost all check cards will work without a PIN if you just hit the credit key. The thieves dont need your PIN to use these numbers.


Scary. sometimes i hate technology.

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Julia789
April 8, 2009 12:50 PM
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I have decided that the only way to be safe is to try and pry the card reader off the ATM with a screwdriver before each use, to see if it comes off... LOL


;-)

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Anonymous
April 8, 2009 3:23 PM
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Many bank machines use what is called a jitterer. You may have noticed one if when you put your card in it seems to stutter for a moment while being pulled in. This stops the skimmers becuase the data gets garbled, but the ATM knows the jitter pattern and can decode the data. The least secure are dip readers (ones where you put your card in and then pull it out). These should be avoided if possible.

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globalman
April 8, 2009 3:52 PM
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Wouldn't this be something that the ATM replenishers (aka armored truck companies) could easily nip in the bud when they perform maintenance on them? The ATMs are touched once or twice a day, so they have to notice if something doesn't look right on the machine. If something like these were attached to MY property, I'd want them off before I was held responsible for negligence.

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tworld
April 8, 2009 4:12 PM
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Thanks for the tip. I'll be on the lookout.

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Dracoster
April 8, 2009 9:20 PM
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So basicly, he'll be arrested for cardskimming because they found his fingerprints on every possible surface on it?

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Bill Moffatt
April 16, 2009 9:12 PM
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Wow! Good eye dude thats pretty impressive. I'd try plugging it in to usb and see what it does!

RT
www.privacy.pro.tc

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