We are seeing a lot of instances where creative scum bags are making fake face plates to ATM machines, and putting in hidden cameras to record your pin #, and a reader to read the data from your credit card. We previously reported on such practices at self-serve gas stations.

Boynton Beach police uncover scheme to rig devices on ATMs for information
Police uncover scheme to rig devices for information

Boynton Beach, FL – A new, sophisticated scheme to steal money out of automated teller machines was uncovered here this weekend, raising concerns that operatives of a Romanian organized crime ring could be operating locally, police said Monday.

It’s called ATM skimming and victims usually don’t even know they’ve been victimized until their identities, and their money, are in the hands of strangers in another part of the world, city police warned.

Here’s how it works: Thieves install a fake face panel on an ATM that conceals a card reader and a hidden camera to record the user’s PIN. When someone uses the machine, the reader records information stored in the card’s magnetic strip, including name, address, birth date, card number, security code, etc., police said.

The user, meanwhile, takes back the card and cash, and leaves without suspecting a thing.

Here is what you need to look for anywhere you stick your credit card in public; a fake front face plate. Pull and tug on the ATM machine, gas pump, or the credit card terminal in between the pumps, like you find @ Arco. If it bents, pulls back, or buckles, it is most likely a fake face place.

If it is solid and does not move, and the paint matches, its the real deal.

The police caught 2 brazen punks from Romania who were in a car nearby, with a crude face plate, super glue, and GPS coordinates of banks in 1/2 dozen states. They had no record or background, nothing except a drivers license. They made it into the country, and incredibly, they were allowed to post bail, they were released! I am sure they will never show up & come out here so we can do it all over the USA.

Be cautious of any place you stick your credit card in public! If the ATM looks different, is a different color, or has stickers that say “No Tampering,” those are some warning signs the ATM has been hijacked.

Also make sure you cup your hands over the keypad when you enter your pin, making sure no camera is seeing your PIN. Notify the bank if you suspect anything is not correct.

Protect your privacy…

Christopher Winkler
Spy & Surveillance Products Expert
EyeSpyPro.com