Mp3-Powered ATM Skimmer Sold for Only $1,500 (€1,000)

ATM skimmer creators make good use of any technology they can lay their hands on. The latest innovations brings forth a type of device that embeds a simple MP3 player to record the data obtained from the credit cards of unsuspecting bank customers.

In his journeys in the criminal underground, Brian Krebs discovered the machinery, which as mentioned, can be purchased for a mere $1,500 (€1,000). The skimmer is advertised as being easy to install, the seller offering full technical support, but there is however a catch to the whole thing.

A fine print on the bottom of the page where the malicious apparatus is commercialized, reveals that in order to decrypt the audio data recorded by the MP3 player that powers the fake ATM, a third party software is needed that can be purchased from a partner. This collaborator requires 20% of all the card numbers and PINs obtained by the device.

“Using audio to capture credit and debit card data is not a new technique, but it is becoming vogue,” Krebs says.

The skimmer itself is made to be fit perfectly on a Diebold Opteva 760 ATM, but the name of the model shouldn't scare you, as this is one of the most popular models. 

So how does it work?

When a credit card is placed near the magnetic reader, the MP3 player automatically records the data stored on the magnetic stripe and converts it to an audio file. This file will have to be decoded by the partner in order to get the valuable information. The bank account stealing machine also comes with a tiny video camera that records the PIN number as it is typed on the numeric keypad of the ATM.

Because it's fairly hard to detect such a malicious contraption that's placed on an automated teller machine, you must be extra careful when performing transactions. Lately I've seen all sorts of seals placed on the front-side of these devices so make sure to look for them before rushing to insert the card.

Back side of MP3 ATM Skimmer

Posted in: Hardware, News