What looks like the card slot from a Chase Bank ATM is actually a sophisticated card skimmer removed from a branch in West Hills, California. And police believe a 3D printer may have been used to create it.
Those green bulbous card slots that were supposed to make it very difficult for a card skimmer to be attached to an ATM have turned out to be just a minor inconvenience for sophisticated thieves. Investigators believe this skimmer — which perfectly fits over the ATM’s regular slot — was created from a mould that came from a 3D printer. Which means those behind this particular ATM scheme had some very expensive tools at their disposal.
In addition to being a perfect replica of the ATM’s standard card slot, this skimmer incorporates a small pinhole camera that starts recording the PIN pad whenever a card is inserted. On the underside is a series of holes that investigators believe allowed the thieves to download data and footage, but the complex electronics on the inside may have been salvaged from a mobile phone, giving this skimmer wireless connectivity.
So in the future, like in many situations, make sure you take a good look at the hardware before you stick your thing in the slot. [KrebsonSecurity via BoingBoing]
Wana
Saturday, December 10, 2011 at 9:46 AMWell, the banks always tell you to cover your hand when entering your pin. With enough practice with your palm, you can do it reliably without moving your hand about at all. So why are these people still successful?
Sally
Saturday, December 10, 2011 at 9:48 AMI always give the card slot a good tug before I use it, and while waiting or walking up to the ATM have a good look for anything that looks remotely dodgy.
George
Saturday, December 10, 2011 at 10:17 AMWhy don’t they make the whole front face of the machine out of a single formed piece?
That way it will be easier to see any extra “additions”
Jack
Saturday, December 10, 2011 at 11:54 AMI really want to learn the technical side behind this, it’s interesting as heck.
David
Saturday, December 10, 2011 at 12:16 PM“Pinhole camera” doesn’t mean what you think it does.
Antonia
Saturday, December 10, 2011 at 2:25 PMWhy not make the entire front panel of the ATM one large slightly curved piece of touch-capable glass and a slot for your card? And it has a proximity sensor so when you approach it it can tell whether anything’s in contact with its front panel.
Evil Stan
Sunday, December 11, 2011 at 10:45 AM“Authentic Looking ATM Skimmers” as opposed to a Fake looking card skimmer?
Jono
Monday, December 12, 2011 at 9:41 AM“. Which means those behind this particular ATM scheme had some very expensive tools at their disposal.”
Anyone reading this can easily get a 3d file printed in China. The Chinese rapid prototyper would not bat an eyelid at what you wanted prototype as long they get paid.
I used to work for a company who designed eftpos machines and we got all our models made in China. These could have potentially been skimmers.