Aug 1, 2011

Don’t Play ‘ATM Roulette’

[caption id="attachment_393" align="alignright" width="383" caption="Don't play "ATM roulette""]

[/caption] There was a clip years ago of one of those hidden-camera prank shows, set in Reno or some other gambling hub. Unsuspecting patrons would insert their cards and enter their PINs into a rigged ATM, and they’d wait for their money as they would at any machine. This ATM, however, would not give them their money. Instead, it would play a message, “Thank you for playing ATM roulette,” and it would ask them to play again. These days, there’s a form of “ATM roulette” that is less benign. It’s called skimming. What happens is thieves place devices on ATMs that collect users’ account information, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Thieves then use the account information to make cards. Then they make their own withdrawals. Check out the FBI website¹ to read tips on how to avoid falling victim to a skimming scam and how to spot a skimmed machine.² You don’t want to gamble with your bank-account information. For more information, visit: 1. “Taking a Trip to the ATM? Beware of ‘Skimmers’” 2. Graphic: ATM Skimming