which has about 20 per cent of the 78,950 ATMs under the National Financial Switch (NFS) in the country, is no stranger to innovative thefts from the machines. The most recent cases were reported in Lottegollanahalli and BTM Layout a couple of days ago. While thieves resort to innovative ways to steal, unrestricted access to ATMs and poor security make matters worse.

Only in January this year a 22-year-old PU dropout from Jharkand was arrested in the city by the Ulsoorgate police for fraudulently withdrawing money from the accounts of two persons at the State Bank of Mysore’s ATM. He had used a matchstick to partially disable the ATM by inserting it into its asterisk key. Once the customers had tried and failed to use the ATM, he had stepped in and used the details of the cards swiped in the machine to withdraw the money himself.

The matchstick trick may only be months old in India, but it is already outdated in other countries, say experts. It is estimated that five to 10 per cent of uneducated youth and 20 per cent of educated, unemployed youth try to steal money from ATMs and the matchstick trick is only one of many they use. Some glue keys to disable the machines and interrupt transactions. After a customer has given up and left, the thief moves in, continues the transaction and makes away with the money.

Others resort to plain spying over the shoulders of customers to memorise PIN numbers, while some use thermocams to record them. “Thieves succeed in using various tricks to steal from ATMs only because of the negligence of the banks. ATMs need regular monitoring and well informed security guards,” says Mrs Shubhamangala Sunil, an expert in cyber forensics and cyber law, who strongly advocates replacing outdated ATM machines with new machines that have inbuilt mechanisms to alert the authorities to any misuse.

“Even touch-screen ATMs are not safe. If the screen hangs for some reason and the machine is slightly tilted later, it is possible to see fingerprints on it, allowing the thieves to see the PIN used”, she says. The police too places the onus on banks to safeguard ATMs and say they has advised them to deploy adequate security and install CCTVs around them to avert fraud.

TRICKS IN USE

Gluestick: Instead of using matchsticks, the thieves use glue sticks beneath the keys
of an ATM to block the transaction. After the customer has left, they move in and remove the glue, allowing the session to continue and take the money.

Thermocams: Some place thermocams in strategic positions to record the pin used by customers

Skimmers: These are used to record data once a card is inserted in the machine. The thieves move in after the customer has left and use the data recorded in the skimmer to create a
duplicate card or for online transactions.

Shoulder surfing: Here the thieves simply manage to see the pin over the customer’s shoulder.

Sleek trick at the pouch: This is done at ATM machines that have a slot to retain the card till the completion of the transaction. A kind of Lebanese loop trick is used in the pouch after the card is inserted to give the impression that it is stuck. Once the customer leaves to sort out the problem with the bank, the thief comes in, opens the sleek, takes the card out and proceeds to use it himself.

Sleek trick at the cash dispenser unit: Sleeks used in the cash dispenser unit of the ATMs pocket the money instead of allowing it to emerge from it. Believing that the machine may have a technical fault, the customer leaves the ATM, allowing the thief to take the money instead.