ATMs used for fraud

Data from 120 clients in Freiberg spied - In Moscow, lifted off around 200 000 €

In the district are angry bank customers, in Moscow, fraudsters rub their hands. By spying on debit cards at ATMs in Freiberg, a loss of more than € 200 000 was born.

Click here to find out more!

 

Even if you are alone: think of the ATMs with skillful manipulation of the data peering fraudsters cash card. In any case, one should therefore cover when entering the pin, the keyboard with his hand, police warns. Photo: Archive

Even if you are alone: think of the ATMs with skillful manipulation of the data peering fraudsters cash card. In any case, one should therefore cover when entering the pin, the keyboard with his hand, police warns. Photo: Archive

Almost half a year ago that the debit cards were spied by 120 bank customers in the region, but yesterday was the full extent of the fraud known. "Skimming" skim to German "," is the name of the maneuver, have abused the offender well-organized the data and the pin of the debit cards for their own purposes. In doing so they have manipulated in February and March, two ATMs Volksbank Freiberg and environment in which customers also lifted other regional banks money. Only in June 2010, the fraudsters with specially-made duplicates in Moscow have plundered the accounts of customers through more than 1000 German withdrawals and amounts in each case set 400-600 € in their own pockets.

 

By this time delay, the covered up their tracks fraudsters sent, acknowledged the police yesterday. To the door openers were probably mounted readers, with the map were copied. The light panels on the ATMs were exchanged and replaced by blinds, in which cameras were installed. Thus, the account holder at the pin input filmed as the police investigation.

 

With daily inspections of ATMs by the employees themselves believed the Volksbank Freiberg protected against such fraudulent schemes. But the security systems have been tricked to admit Board Member Armin Fuchs. "The perpetrators are technically very well equipped and highly professional steps," said his knowledge.

 

Neither the employees nor the customers who had, after repeated reports of skimming has become very cautious, be struck by the manipulation. At the machines themselves were subsequently scarcely been noticed traces of technological change. Nor let say exactly when and how the perpetrators of the ATMs have rebuilt. They may be middle of the night just placed a sign "device out of service", working behind a curtain, wondering Fuchs. When the money was withdrawn more than two months after the "skimming" in Moscow, the video recordings, giving information on the perpetrators and their actions were contained, long erased.

 

To improve the protection of the bank and its customers, the Volksbank Freiberg will now share their ATM devices to a newer generation, starting in the center Freiberger, assured the Board member. The customers of the banks can recover the damage, the People's Bank is insured themselves against such fraud. But for how long? Because banks are inundated with such downright fraud, is standing for fox, the question whether the system generally functions yet.

 

The series of fraud in Freiberg is the most spectacular case of "skimming" in the district of Ludwigsburg. Unlike other counties in the region of Stuttgart is Ludwigsburg been spared so far, a spokeswoman for the police yesterday drew record. In 2005, several cases in Benningen, Stuttgart and in the city of Ludwigsburg were known. In February 2010, it had to do the police in Vaihingen with a series of offenses for the 30 bank customers by a total of 60 000 € were betrayed.

 

Caution is still the highest degree (see info-box). Knapp 1100 ATMs were manipulated in Germany alone in the first half of 2010, statistics from the Federal Criminal Police Office. In addition to North Rhine-Westphalia and Berlin is a focus of the manipulations in Baden-Wuerttemberg.