smile & compromised Cashpoints

zaax

As present all the cash-points seem to be compromised in Felixstowe as people are getting money out and in two hours money is withdrawn in Las Vagus.

I contact Smile after getting pass their horrendous menu system. The person at the call center didn't know when they are going to be cleared as they had no contact with Link even though the machines where co-op.

agrinnall

Are you saying that every ATM in Felixstowe is owned by the Co-op, and that they have all been physically compromised or there's some software hack going on that only affects Felixstowe? I find both things hard to believe (and that's a polite way of saying impossible).

tinkerbell28

You know what that's really strange. I only clicked as I thought smile were owned by co-op.

Where we live so many people have had the same thing happen. Use their card in the co-op machine. Then have their card used online/abroad/in the local cashpoint.

Co-op were insistent their machine was ok. Wondered if maybe a "gang" are exploiting their machines? Big old coincidence!

thenudeone

tinkerbell28 wrote: »

Where we live so many people have had the same thing happen. Use their card in the co-op machine. Then have their card used online/abroad/in the local cashpoint.

Co-op were insistent their machine was ok.

All of the ATM skimmer devices are fitted from outside of the machine and are usually intended to be removed from outside as well (they will want to re-use it somewhere else, prevent the police finding evidence or the banks from finding out exactly how the device works).

Is such devices were used and then removed, there is no way that a bank can know, even by inspecting the machine. Only an analysis of subsequent fraudulent transactions, cross-referenced to cashpoints used, will show which cashpoints were targeted. Since most cash withdrawals will be for other banks' customers, (for whom the ATM-owning bank has no data), cross-referencing this data is difficult.