Not much info added from previous Consumerist articles, except for showing how clone cards are programmed. But it's done in a British accent!

To reiterate what I said in a previous thread, always cover your hand while typing in your PIN, people!

@nytmare: Not like there's much more to say.

And yes! British Accents! We all love those!

that skimmer looks REALLY out-of-place... it's silver and the machine is beige, it juts out way too far...
people are way too trusting

(i personally won't use one of those standalone ATMs, i prefer to use one from my bank. not that a bank ATM is any safer, mind you...)

@PersonalBest:

I've been doing that for close to a decade. Friends called me paranoid.

Nice use of Boards of Canada in that video

On topic though, card readers are getting ridiculous, thankfully banks are pretty vigilant, I myself have had my card cancelled due to suspicion that it might have been copied, it's not a pleasent experience but I'd rather they do that and I keep my money than the even more unpleasent alternative

There may be nothing new to add from the sudden surge of articles about ATM skimmers, but this video does a good job summing it all up.

Before people say we need to ban magstripe writers, forgetaboutit. If that's what you want to do, you have to ban irons. Yes, with just two cards, a sheet of paper, and an iron, you can clone the magstripe of a card.

@shepd: Macgyver could do it with one card, a piece of silly putty, and two toothpicks.

@SirDanF: That Macgyver, he's so thrifty.

It really is time for the banking industry to at least start doing something about skimming. Everyone always says the system is too large and cumbersome to be changed but you have to start somewhere. I have had this idea floating around in the back of my head for a while.

Develop a simple biometrics add-on. Something that could be added to a bank's ATMs quickly and easily by their normal service techs. When using your own Bank's ATMs require a pin and biometrics authentication both. We all know biometrics aren't perfect but they don't need to be since it is just an added layer of security.

For those occasions when you can't avoid using another bank's ATMs I can think of several solutions solutions. A couple being:

1) Simply have a second pin. Since you are less likely to use this pin often (I probably use another bank's atm's less than 5 times a year.) it's at least marginally better protected. Don't allow this pin to work in your own bank's ATMs.

2) Or take advantage of txt messaging. Send a txt message to your bank from a registered number. They send you back a onetime use pin that will work in any ATM for the next 30 minutes.

Neither the solution is perfect but almost anything would be an improvement.

Off topic but what is that song at the very beginning? It's killing me! Moby? Koyannisquatsi? Orbital? AHHHH

@PersonalBest: Doesn't work if they've overlaid a second keypad over the real one.

@theblackdog: True, but it does seem to work in the "pinhole camera" cases, which seem to be the predominant method used at the moment.

Until the businesses/banks have to pay out more money for scams than they are getting for fees, this will continue. Remember, they don't care about the customer, only his money and their bottom line. Once you see that, all is explained.

@shepd: Ya, but at least I am going to notice right away if there is an iron attached to the ATM machine.

I was hoping someone would post about the BoC music. Nice work.

He used a different PIN!!! Unless they grabbed a 3rd mark that they didn't show, the hustler used 4577, the two marks shown used 8541 and 4568.

I think I need a hobby.