… and I am trying to figure out how it happened. She has had her ATM/Visa Debit card on her at all times, but someone has been using what appears to Compass’s comptuer system to be the exact same card to withdraw $500 dollars a pop at different banks (even a Compass bank) about 35 miles away. This happened for the course of two days until all of her money was gone.
She has canceled the card and is trying to work with Compass to get the funds back. She is having to do a police report and dispute the charges, but Compass doesn’t seem to really want to work with her on this since it appears that they used her PIN to access the funds.
On her account statement, the card is being used almost at the same time about 35 miles away from each other. She used it to buy a movie ticket while the thief was using it to pop her for another $500 bucks.
I’ve heard of crooks putting a phony front on an ATM so that their machine reads the card before the real ATM reads it-- That would give you the data that’s on the magnetic stripe. A camera also installed on the ATM points at the keypad, and sees the PIN as it’s entered. Then you get a new card from somewhere (used hotel keycards, perhaps) and re-magnetize it to match the stolen information.
I have no idea how common this is, but it’s at least a possibility.
At checkout counters, a nefarious employee could have a card reader attached to the debit machine that is recording cards swiped through it. Some criminals have attached hidden cameras looking down at the PIN pad of ATM machines to record PINs, and likewise have attached card readers to the ATMs to record their card info. This latter has even made the news in the last year or two. Chip-and-pin cards have made it harder to do this, but if your mom doesn’t have one of those then it’s entirely possible she could have been a victim of one of the aforementioned methods (or others I’m not aware of).
No, but the thieves may have rigged a fake card reader and camera on an ATM she does use, getting the card info and PIN, and then creating a duplicate card which can be used anywhere.
She wouldn’t need to have been. She only would have to have been to a bank machine that thieves have installed their scanning/video equipment on. The thieves can then duplicate a card with her info and use any machine they want to take the money out.
That sucks. Does anyone know what the liability is on her for this? I have heard that you can’t get out of all fraud if its checking account money. Thats why I don’t have a credit/debit card, only an ATM card.
Most likely an ATM card skimmer. A device attaches to the outside of the ATM card slot and reads the magnetic strip when she puts her card in. It’s designed to just look like a part of the ATM so you don’t realize anything’s wrong.
Once they have the magnetic strip information, they also need the PIN. So they hide a camera somewhere on/around the ATM to see what PIN she types in.
With the magnetic strip information, they can make duplicate ATM cards, and with the PIN they can use them to withdraw money.
Doesn’t matter. Once they scan the card and get the PIN, they can go to any ATM and get money. They program a card with the number and bingo - they’re golden.
I misunderstood my mom. Compass is actually being very helpful, but it will be at least 7 days before they get their money refunded…
Thanks for the info everyone.
One that is being used is a sensor pad that is inserted under the keypad of a paypoint.
Seems that in the UK well known petrol(gas) chains are responsible. I know someone who has had this happen, the police explained how it was done, used to be Shell stations.
She was advised that the best prtoection is not to go to one of these main gas stations as they are not actually owned by the company whose name is on the sign, they are actually franchises and are fre to hire anyone they choose - certain amount of corruption has come in on thses small franchisees.
She was advised to go to her local supermarket gas stations as these are not franchised - they are owned by the supermarkets and they do carry out the reference checks.
I still think the best protection is cash.
Gas station and restaurant skimming are notorious here in the UK, I would imagine its the same in other parts of the world too.
Yep. She should check to see when her last legitimate cash withdrawal was, and where, and make sure the bank (and police) know that. It may be helpful in documenting other cases of fraud, and hopefully help catch the scammers.
Something like this happened to my fiance (we had been together about 6 months then). The credit union he banked at ended up refunding half of the money withdrawn, because it was a pin transaction and we couldn’t find who did it.
Hopefully the ATMs where it was fraudulently used have cameras so they can get an image of the person(s) doing this.
