Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Oct 26: It has been found that the skimmers who secretly fix chip and camera to the ATMs, steal data of the customers remotely and siphon off funds from the accounts of customers have spread their tentacles to the city. The cyber police here have found that several customers have lost their money in this way in three ATMs here.

Two of these ATMs where these frauds have taken place belong to Canara Bank and located at Mannaguda and Car Street, while the other case relates to the State Bank of India ATM located inside the premises of National Institute of Technology Suratkal.

Four persons have approached the cyber crime police station here about having lost their money in this way.

The devious method in which information about the card are stolen with the help of a device and camera fitted inside the ATMs and then used to steal money from the accounts is known as 'skimming' in the parlance of cyber crimes. The cyber police say that their study has revealed that the thieves choose ATMs where CCTV cameras do not properly function and where security personnel are not posted. Fake chips and spy cameras are installed inside these ATMs, normally during the early morning hours, they said.

In this method, fake card readers are fitted by the skimmers outside the card readers of the ATMs into which cards are swiped. The memory card therein records details of all the ATM cards swiped in that machine. A pin camera moulding fitted above the key board gives information about PIN to the skimmers. The information so stolen is provided to their associates normally located in north India. The people thee draw money from ATMs by using these details. The police think that the operatives in north India would have deputed some people for the job to different cities, and the skimmers functioning here might be Nigerian nationals.

The customers can contribute to stop the crime by bringing to the notice of the bank officials if they feel that the card reader appears to have become rough during swiping. At the same time, the other palm should be held to cover the key board when entering the PIN. The banks also are expected to ensure that security personnel are provided to all the ATMs, they stay alert without sleeping at night, see that the CCTV cameras are properly functional and proper maintenance is undertaken periodically to ensure that all the devices are properly working and no foul-play has happened.