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Oct. 13th, 2006 09:45 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
plutherusHeard on the radio this morning:
Apparently, they busted a group who were creating fake ATM's and putting them up around town.
Some fairly sophisticated systems these people had been creating:
You insert your card, enter the PIN. It tells you the PIN is wrong. When you enter it again, it tells you the machine is out of money and to try another. It then gives you the card back.
The software matchs the PINs with the information on the cards.
Using a wi-fi connection, it then transfers that information back to a central office, where they print out a card with all of your information on it, and take it with the rest of the stack to a real ATM to withdraw whatever your daily limit is.
This is actually a fairly old scam. What's impressive about this one is the quality of the software:
It records the information, but gives you your card back, so you have no way of knowing the card was stolen.
It asks you to enter the PIN twice, which greatly reduces errors in the thieves' database.
It uses local Wi-Fi connection, so that the thieves never have to approach the ATM. (In the past, most of these guys have been caught when they go to get the cards out of the fake ATM at night).
I imagine it'd be quick, too - the crew back at HQ can probably print a copy of your card, give it to the runners, who can empty your account before you can even find another ATM.
Interestingly, too, was the PIN numbers in the database: It turns out that, yes, the single most common number IS 1-2-3-4.
Next is 4-3-2-1. OK, people, don't you have spouses with birthdays? Or social security numbers that you can reverse the last four digits of? I mean, really. Who hasn't seen Spaceballs by now? ("And change the combination on my luggage").
Interestingly, also in the top 10 was 1-1-3-8. I mean, I know this is Silicon Valley, Geek Central, but I was pretty damn surprised to hear that!
I wonder where 9393 is on the list? That's not my PIN, but I know a few who would use it...
They didn't mention 0420, 0418, 0412, or 0720, either.
Apparently, they busted a group who were creating fake ATM's and putting them up around town.
Some fairly sophisticated systems these people had been creating:
You insert your card, enter the PIN. It tells you the PIN is wrong. When you enter it again, it tells you the machine is out of money and to try another. It then gives you the card back.
The software matchs the PINs with the information on the cards.
Using a wi-fi connection, it then transfers that information back to a central office, where they print out a card with all of your information on it, and take it with the rest of the stack to a real ATM to withdraw whatever your daily limit is.
This is actually a fairly old scam. What's impressive about this one is the quality of the software:
It records the information, but gives you your card back, so you have no way of knowing the card was stolen.
It asks you to enter the PIN twice, which greatly reduces errors in the thieves' database.
It uses local Wi-Fi connection, so that the thieves never have to approach the ATM. (In the past, most of these guys have been caught when they go to get the cards out of the fake ATM at night).
I imagine it'd be quick, too - the crew back at HQ can probably print a copy of your card, give it to the runners, who can empty your account before you can even find another ATM.
Interestingly, too, was the PIN numbers in the database: It turns out that, yes, the single most common number IS 1-2-3-4.
Next is 4-3-2-1. OK, people, don't you have spouses with birthdays? Or social security numbers that you can reverse the last four digits of? I mean, really. Who hasn't seen Spaceballs by now? ("And change the combination on my luggage").
Interestingly, also in the top 10 was 1-1-3-8. I mean, I know this is Silicon Valley, Geek Central, but I was pretty damn surprised to hear that!
I wonder where 9393 is on the list? That's not my PIN, but I know a few who would use it...
They didn't mention 0420, 0418, 0412, or 0720, either.
