ATM Scams getting smarter?

Archeron

Just thought this might be worth a mention. (if it saves one person getting scammed its worth it)

This thread is currently in the consumer issued forum :
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2054865036

I'd like to say a big thanks to Dub13 (thread number 6) who pointed out the cameras that may be in use. Until I read that post, I wasnt aware of where to look for cameras. I do tug at the machines to see if any pieces are loose or come off.
Just yesterday, I used a bank machine outside a garage, and was happy that there was nothing wrong. I remembered this thread and after I took my money out (typically) I thought to have a good look for cameras. Lo and behold, there was a tiny little camera inserted in the frame of the machine.

This was very cleverly placed as, because it was in the frame itself, it was in a place that you would have no reason to look. Being right handed, I cover the keypad with my right hand and key in the pin with my left, and the feckers had actually positioned it so that it was in the optimum place for people who key their pins like this. It was slightly to the left directly above the actual keypad.
I checked with the service station manager who confirmed with the machine maintenance people that there most certainly should not be a camera anywhere on the machine, so she called the police and let them handle it.

I consider myself relatively savvy, and do take precautions, but this was a new one to me, so I just thought its worth a mention. Be careful out there!!

Jack B. Badd

I have to say I think the TSB's method of putting a picture of what the ATM should look like on the screen is a good one. Until someone starts using scamming devices that look exactly like the front of the TSB machines...

JungleBunny

Thanks for that! Never seen a camera in one before, but then again I probably did not look properly.
There was one in the Square out in Tallaght that had a dodgy thing attached to the part you insert your card into. I think it was by the Roches Stores entrance somewhere. However when I said it to a security guy from there I don't think he actually cared one bit. Not even sure if he had any idea what I was talking about. So I called the gards. Not too enthused by my information but they said to leave it with them. Never heard anything since.

I do usually have a look though at the machines. (Not that there is much in my account to steal though )

swingking

ehhhhhhhh here's an idea, you might think of actually telling us the location of this bogey machine to avoid us getting scamed rather than just saying that you saw a camera near an atm near a garage.

Anyway, thanks for telling us that this exists, will be very careful to look on the frames of machines for any hidden cameras.

What will they think of next?

liam1204

cheers for that but again where was the garage?

Owen

I'm paranoid. I check every machine every time. It'd be only too easy to fabricate the front of a machine myself to make it look convincing, and if I can do it, anyone can.

Archeron

swingking wrote:

ehhhhhhhh here's an idea, you might think of actually telling us the location of this bogey machine to avoid us getting scamed rather than just saying that you saw a camera near an atm near a garage.

To be honest, I didnt think it fair to name the garage, as I wouldnt want to sully the name of the business. It wasnt their fault that the scam was in place, and they reacted immediately when they heard about it by contacting the machine maintenance people and the gardai.

In fairness, I would imagine this could be done on almost any bank machine, so the point is to keep your eye out for it on ALL bank machines that you use as opposed to avoiding a particular service station which has now realized that the scam was in place anyway. I would guess that the equipment was removed from this ATM, but I'm sure it will appear somewhere else.