Ideas To Thwart ATM Thieves
There are thieves out there who use the power of geek to steal money. They use gadgets and software to scan your card and get your card info and PIN number. Time to fight back!
Typically, these guys will place a fake card reader in front of the actual card reader on the ATM itself. So when you insert your card it’s being read twice. They usually get the PIN number from a small camera installed on the ATM as well.
Here are some solutions to help foil this evil scheme!
A.) We can get all TRON on this mofo and put an LED strip around the card slot. I’d also add a sign saying “If this strip of light is in any way interrupted by an object, do not use!”. This light would encircle the slot opening, so a fake reader installed overtop would break the light. I’d also have the light change colors, so crooks can’t match it up.
B.) and C.) Use robotics! With B the card reader would sink into the machine, and smash off any hitchhiking gadgets in the process. C would be similar, but the card reader would move between different slots all the time, so nothing can be attached because the front panel would break it off.
D.) To thwart PIN reading, I’d use an LED touch screen which had a display that is visible at a small range distance and angle. I’d then jumble up the numbers every time.
E.) Use a scanner-like device, where you’d lay the card on a glass, and an internal scanner moves up and down to read the card. This way you can clearly see it’s just the machine scanning your card, plus the scanner is internal and untouchable for thieves to get at.
F.) Sort of like B and C, but have a hydraulic cover open and close over the machine interface. This cover would be flush with the ATM, so it would catch onto any extraneous card readers.
G.) This is my personal favorite, and I saved it for last. Instead of using a static 4-digit PIN system, we’d use a new system where you’d have to throw in a couple of random numbers too. These extra numbers throw thieves off the scent. Basically you’d enter 6-9 numbers, so long as you entered your 4-digit PIN somewhere in there in the correct sequence, your entry is successful. I’d probably allow the option for people to enter as many as 15 numbers - because one look at a 15-digit sequence - with only 4 of those being correct - a thief would go mad.
I don’t think it would be difficult at all for banking software to filter out the correct PIN from your jumble of numbers. It would just be a little brain exercise for you when you are doing a transaction, that’s all.
Posted on February 5, 2011, in Appliances and tagged Computers, Consumerism, Money, Technology. Bookmark the permalink. 8 Comments.
*thumbs up*
Scary thing is that all of these would actually work better than current security (or lack thereof).
I like the LED strip and the accompanying caution sign because of its simplicity and cheapness to add to prevent fraudulent card readers.
Your last idea though, is just plain genius. It’s a great idea that is very workable into the system (I would think).
Thanks!
I believe the dummy PIN system can be integrated into the current banking system at little cost, and with zero hardware overhaul. Just a matter of getting all banks to adopt the same system,
I had this happen to me recently. According to my credit union, it is very for the thieves to create “duplicate” cards, which they then sell to other lowlife characters. Fortunately, there is something that some of us can do to thwart this. My credit uinon offers the ability to temporarily deactivate (and later reactivate) one’s atm card online (yes it is possible to bank online safely). What I plan to do is use my card, then deactivate it until I want to use it again, The original thief will then have some very unhappy customers who are shady to begin with. It may be inconvenient, but well worth it IMHO.
Sorry to hear about the theft. I think it would be as simple as changing your PIN to thwart the bad guys, no? It must be a pain in the butt for you to activate and deactivate all the time, though I can see that being a nice safe guard.
Just my Idea about the random numbers, if they watch your jumble of 15 numbers, they could still just use that jumble of 15 numbers and it would work right? I think the best Idea is the random low/angle, that and the readers with crushers.
I think most people can stay on top of 4 numbers and remember that if they are watching first-hand. The long chain of numbers would be difficult to remember. Most people struggle trying to remember a 7-digit phone number (at least that’s what I often tell the ladies, when they ask me why I don’t call).
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