BankThink

Card-Skimming Device Lost Because It Was Loose

A card-skimming device is only convincing if it stays stuck to the ATM.

A bank customer in Taunton, Mass., discovered a skimming device on a bank's ATM because the device was loose, WBZ-TV, a CBS station, reported online Thursday. Though the device was not intended to look exactly like the machine's regular card slot — its presence is obvious in a side-by-side comparison with similar ATMs — the skimmer copied the signage and coloring of the rest of the ATM. The device stores the data from cards' magnetic stripe and a nearby hidden camera is used to record PIN codes.

The incident is the first reported use of a skimming device in Taunton, though police in nearby Stoughton have investigated reports of skimming devices in their area, the article said.

For reprint and licensing requests for this article, click here.
MORE FROM AMERICAN BANKER