ATM Skimmers caught in New Jersey - be careful, your card could be next!

[tk149]

I work in the financial services industry, and we got an alert today. I'll paraphrase:

On May 16th, two scumbags were arrested for manufacturing and deploying 20 card skimmers in the Hackensack, New Jersey area. The perpetrators are known to be involved in skimming-related cases in Chicago, Boston, and New York.

They attached plastic card readers (approximately 4" x 3") over the throat of legitimate card readers. Card numbers and magnetic stripe data is skimmed and recorded. They can transmit the data from as much as 10 miles away.

The male perpetrator was turned in by the female.

The US Secret Service has found two of these devices. The other 18 are still missing.

 

[SpiderX]

I had to change my pin a year or so ago. Someone in 7/11 was using one of those things.

 

[BillyGoat]

i line in NJ, what do these things looklike?, do they change the appearence any?

 

Damn, that is kinda scary - I never even knew that these existed.

 

[DrPizza]

Thanks for the alert. I'll have to be alert for any changes to the atm machine.

 

[tk149]

Originally posted by: BillyGoat0
i line in NJ, what do these things looklike?, do they change the appearence any?

This is all the information I have, but maybe you can find a link on the web somewhere:

"...the male suspect made a plaster mold of an ATM card reader and then went to a local plastic company and ordered 20 items. The new plastic "card readers" are approximately 4" x 3", attached over the throate of the legitimate card reader with double sided tape, and are outfitted with electronic skimming and transmitting devices."

EDIT:

Here's a picture of a different skimmer and another.

There's a frightening number of links on Google when I searched for "ATM skimmer."

 

[conjur]

All the ATMs I use you have to insert the card into the machine...not a swipe deal.

That would be kinda hard to mess with.

 

[MrBond]

Originally posted by: BillyGoat0
i line in NJ, what do these things looklike?, do they change the appearence any?

I saw something on the news about that, they basicly just make the regular ATM face look a little "thicker". The one they showed had beveled edges (kind of like a pyramid with a flat top and not nearly as tall) and fit right over top the old atm thing.

It doesn't work with the bank's machine though, so that should be your first clue. I always look at my ATM closely and make sure it's the same as always.