Bit weird this. It’s perhaps not something I’d film, but Benjamin Tedesco managed to find something a bit weird on a cash machine whilst on holiday in Vienna. He was filming, in portrait for some reason, and then decided to film himself going to the ATM. I know. Don’t ask. Anyway, he had a look and spotted a “skimmer” stuck to the front which pre-reads your card (and records it for the thieves who then clone your card after) and grabs your details. It’s then fed into the cash machine as normal and your transaction can take place.
Capturing all this in video is not something that happens that often, but – with the ever-shrinking (and clever) technology available – it’s becoming easier for thieves to construct these things. In the past we’ve seen pin-hole cameras on cash machines and indeed Benjamin, who’s a Technical Services Consultant, has since watched the video back and has realised that his missed the pin-hole camera sitting over the numeric keypad. This, in conjunction with the skimmer, records the PIN numbers.
Here’s the video..
This is something we all need to keep a watch out for. Have a look at the slot where you put your card – check that it looks right and isn’t just a skimmer stuck on. Hide your PIN too.