Online hacking, identity theft, ATM theft, credit card theft, and so many other crimes have resulted in numerous accounts being compromised on the global level and millions in cash have been stolen from hard-working civilians.
Recently, Benjamin Tedesco, a cyber security expert, was enjoying a vacation in Vienna where he went to withdraw some cash from the nearby ATM outlet. He noticed something strange on the machine, thanks to his detective instinct that can smell trouble. As he scrutinized, he saw a glue bead emerging from the card slot casing. Further examination revealed that the casing is removable. Sadly, even physical security at the ATM cannot save us from credit card theft.
“I went to the ATM and kind of tugged on the card reader if you will and this literally just popped off,” said Tedesco in an interview to Fox 5 while showing the ATM skimming device.
He continues, “As it started to come off, I noticed that there is a little bit of glue residue. Then I realized it was actually a secondary overlay device.”
After careful investigation, Tedesco realized that the overlay device is wired and has sensors to steal people’s credit card details. The self-made casing is very much like the real cover, and the resemblance is uncanny. In spite of the discovery by Tedesco, the bad news is that there could be many other custom casings out there.
“From what I can tell here, it almost looks mass produced, which could be concerning because there could be a lot more of these out there,” he said.
“If you look [at the device], this battery appears. I haven’t plugged anything into it, but the battery appears to be disposable.”
Here’s the video of the discovery.
Tedesco is currently working with the local authorities in Vienna to dig out more information about the scale and complexity of local ATMs.
The thieves have begun to use modern technology to steal money from hard-working people. Beware of such hackers, everyone!
- Keep your banking information private online and do not share it with anyone.
- Make sure you cover your pin while entering and make sure no one is looking.
- Check for an additional cover on ATM card slot by tugging lightly at it.