Cyber Risks · Krebs on Security

Stealthy, Razor Thin ATM Insert Skimmers

Summary: A bank in southern Europe found a razor-thin insert skimmer fitted inside the card slot of one of its ATMs after the machine's "fatal error" alarm signaled tampering, and the fraudsters did not manage to retrieve it. The stainless steel device was powered by a CR2012 coin battery and included a small data storage component and a reader for the magnetic stripe, while the bank reported no PIN pad overlays and said hidden cameras are how fraudsters now capture PINs.

Why it matters: European banks issue chip-and-PIN cards, but many still carry a magnetic stripe for backward compatibility, so stolen card data can be sent to co-conspirators in the United States to fabricate cards and withdraw cash where EMV is not yet in force. EAST, representing banks in 29 countries with more than 640,000 cash machines, reports that issuers in twelve countries have introduced some form of geo-blocking as a countermeasure.

Read the original at Krebs on Security ↗

Topics
Data Breaches
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