Crooks use iPods to steal card at ATM machines

British Law enforcement has published a collection of pictures showing the use of pinhole cameras and iPods to steal card details at ATM machines. Law enforcement has shared a collection of images showing a last trend in the criminal underground, the use of pinhole cameras and iPods to steal card details at ATM machines. These […]

May 12, 2015

Crooks use iPods to steal card at ATM machines

British Law enforcement has published a collection of pictures showing the use of pinhole cameras and iPods to steal card details at ATM machines.

Law enforcement has shared a collection of images showing a last trend in the criminal underground, the use of pinhole cameras and iPods to steal card details at ATM machines.

These pictures shared by law enforcement show that criminal gangs using hidden iPods as spy cameras at the ATM machine to capture user’s PIN when victims access it. The Police discovered an iPod Nano on a cash point in Urmston, Manchester, but the practice seems to be in rapid diffusion among criminal communities.

One of the first use of iPods to steal the PIN was spotted in January at Gatley, Stockport.

“These pictures show the lengths criminal gangs are going to in an attempt to steal card details at ATM machines – as a trick of using hidden iPods as spy cameras continues to spread.

It involves strapping the musical device to the roof of a cash point and setting it to record video of a person inputting their personal identification number (PIN).” reported a post published by Daily Mail.

Members of criminal gangs strap the iPod to the roof of a cash point and configure it in the attempt to record video of a bank customer while are providing their personal identification number (PIN) to authorize the transaction.

In the following image, the musical device is concealed in a specially-designed metallic wrapper that allows the camera to record user’s operations on the ATM keyboard.

While the iPod is used to steal the PIN, the fraudsters use a piece of plastic placed over the card reader in order to trap a card. In this way the card is blocked by the ATM, when the owner walks away the criminals remove the card and withdraw cash by using the PIN recorded with the iPod.

The card-reading device was discovered by the British Police placed at a Barclays ATM located in a cash point at the branch on Station Road.

“Barclays has one of the most extensive ATM networks across the UK and we are one of the leading banks in our work to ensure our machines are protected from attack” said a Barclays spokesman. “Unfortunately fraud is a problem for the whole of the banking industry.” “We can confirm that the skimming device has now been removed from our ATM in Urmston and all customers who recently used the machine have been contacted.”

The Police immediately removed the device and urged anyone who has used the cash point to contact their bank as soon as possible.

Criminal crews are very creative, the law enforcement also shared the pictures of another artifact used by crooks that is placed over a legitimate card entrance. The device is dubbed the ‘Lebanese Loop’ and is used to skim the user card, one of the first samples was discovered near Manchester, at cash points located in Chorlton and Longsight,

The bank staff and law enforcement suggest users to monitor their bank account cards being vigilant of possible tampering of the ATM.

“Steps are now being taken to prevent this from happening again and if a customer is an innocent victim of fraud, we have a policy which ensures they are refunded any losses.” explained the Barclays spokesman.

Pierluigi Paganini

(Security Affairs – ATM, iPod)