ATM Skimming - Any Telltale signs?

lilgreenmomo

Hi, not sure if this is the right board for this but... Does anyone know of any telltale signs to look for when using a cashpoint to work out if it has a skimming device attached?

I used a NATWEST cash point earlier today & the machine took a long time to take my card & return it.The feed seemed quite slow & 'soft' for want of a better description whereas normally the mechanisms are quite fast.

I am wondering if this is just a faulty machine or something more suspect. In either case perhaps I should report it. to Natwest & my own bank.

Thoughts please?

LindseyandMatthew

I'm not sure hun but I have used machines like that before

olly300

If you are not sure just report it. Better safe than sorry.

sinizterguy

Look at the slot where the card goes in, you can usually tell if there is something unwanted on it. Also look around for leaflet packs, or other extraneous things which may be glued to the side of the machines - these usually carry the camera which records your PIN number (this can be overcome by covering the keypad with your other hand while entering the pin).

The_One_Who

lilgreenmomo wrote: »

I used a NATWEST cash point earlier today & the machine took a long time to take my card & return it.The feed seemed quite slow & 'soft' for want of a better description whereas normally the mechanisms are quite fast.

I've found that RBS ATMs are like that. At first I thought there was something wrong with it but later in the day used an in-branch RBS machine and the same thing happened again.

lilgreenmomo

Thanks all, I shall keep a close eye on my account but this has put my mind at rest somewhat. There were certainly no other things about the ATM that seemed suspicious & it could be just due to the age of the machine. It has been in a long time.

Lavendyr

I've often found Natwest ATMs are like that - there were a couple in Cambridge that I used a couple of times that were awful, I was worried they wouldn't give the card back. I don't think it's necessarily a sign of skimming, just the way they work.

Lazy_Runner

5 years ago, the rumour at the IT company at which I worked was that the computer operating system that NatWest uses for its cash machines, was the reason they were so slow. This was also the reason why the ATM would 'crash'. If this was the case, they may have changed the operating system by now as it is no longer supported by Microsoft.

C_Ronaldo

They do say to use the cashpoints inside the banks themselves if possible,

username

Lazy_Runner wrote: »

5 years ago, the rumour at the IT company at which I worked was that the computer operating system that NatWest uses for its cash machines, was the reason they were so slow. This was also the reason why the ATM would 'crash'. If this was the case, they may have changed the operating system by now as it is no longer supported by Microsoft.

It's very much true. The majority (if not all) ATMs run on Windows of some description, and are therefore suceptible (sp?) to the same problems which any Windows installation will have. Of course, the setup on ATMs will be tweaked much more for best efficiency, uptime and security, but at the end of the day, it's a Windows machine and like any Windows machine, it will crash at some point and need a reboot.

You'd be surprised how much Windows encroaches upon our daily lives.

vikingaero

Sometimes the card return mechanisms are quite slow and probably in need of a service. If I use an unfamiliar machine I try and pull the casing off with my fingers to make sure there's no skimmer attached.