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Cyber Risks · Krebs on Security

Secret Service Warns of Surge in ATM ‘Wiretapping’ Attacks

Summary: The U.S. Secret Service has warned financial institutions about a rise in ATM "wiretapping" skimming, in which thieves drill cupcake-sized holes in cash machines, conceal them with metal faceplates or decals, and fish card skimmers through the hole to attach to the internal card reader with magnets. Thieves use USB endoscopes connected to smartphones to confirm the skimmer is seated, then often wait a day before adding a hidden pinhole camera to record PIN entries, a delay the alert says is meant to ensure drilling vibrations did not trigger anti-skimming alarms.

Bottom line: The Secret Service has received multiple reports of these attacks, and how-to documents detailing the method are now circulating widely on cybercrime forums, so the technique is spreading beyond the thieves who devised it. The delay before the camera goes in is built around defeating anti-skimming technology, which means an alarm that stays silent is not evidence the machine is clean.

Read the original at Krebs on Security ↗

Topics
Data Breaches
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