ATM Theft:Protect Yourself From the Most Common ATM Scams.

Today we have an important issue for you that focuses on ATM theft.Yesterday I was in the Bank to pick a new card.ATM thieves are increasing day by day,your ignorance of this will mean ignoring your labour.
Except you are like my Uncle who has vowed never to use that devil's plastic (ATM Cards).
Fake PIN pads? Skimmers? Cash trapping? ATM theft is getting downright sneaky. Often people don't know they've been victimized by ATM theft until it's too late. Do you know how to recognize and protect yourself from these sneaky ATM scams? If not, today you are about finding out.
With more than 1.5 million ATM machines around the world, most of us simply take our ATM cards for granted. Unfortunately, thieves know this and use it to their advantage -- so ATM theft is a big problem.
In fact, as ATM banking technology advances so too do the thieves. They have become so clever in their crimes that you may well not see them coming. The good news is that there are easy ways to protect yourself from ATM theft.

1 Shoulder Surfing, Fake PIN Pads, and Even Fake Machines
How many times you have been tonthe ATM and someone is busy peeping at what you are doing as if you are holding there money,some claim they want to learn how to use it,Let them learn with their card.
Another way to glean your ATM PIN number is for thieves to mount a wireless video camera inside the ATM area. It can look as harmless as a brochure holder. Once the scammers have your number, magnetic strips are easy to make and thieves are able to easily reproduce ATM cards.
In addition to using cameras to collect PIN numbers, thieves have designed fake PIN pads that they place on top of the original ATM PIN pad. Unfortunately, with fake PIN pads, your ATM transaction will proceed normally and you won't know a scammer has stolen anything until it's too late.
Thieves have also taken to occasionally putting up fake ATM machines in and around shopping centers and other public locations. Upon placing your card into the card reader, these machines collect your ATM PIN and account information. They do not dispense cash. Rather, a screen comes up that says that the machine is out of money or out of order.

2. Phishing

You might have received a mail from us recently warning you about people claiming to be interswitch and that you should enter your pins at their site for renewal or else your card will be invalid,Most email phishing scams have been designed to find out your pin,Representing your bank, scammers can send you an email with a notice on it saying something about incomplete account information or that you need to update your account information. You click on the link and follow the directions but you're not at your bank, you're at a site designed to look like your bank by thieves. They collect your information and are free to replicate your ATM card or simply withdraw your money from your account via online banking.
That is the chief phishing technique in Nigeria.You may then ask ,how easy it is for thieves to replicate ATM cards. All they need is a magnetic strip and a plastic card. Armed with an ATM card, all a would-be thief needs is a PIN number.
3. The Good Samaritan Trap

Many thieves are using external devices to take your card. In this scam, a blocking device (which can be as simple as some film glued to trap ATM cards), is inserted into the card slot of the ATM machine. Unwittingly, you place your card into the machine and enter your PIN. All the while, someone nearby may be watching you enter your PIN number.
A very common reaction is to go into the bank to report your confiscated card. Now the thieves jump into action. They remove the blocking device, along with your trapped ATM card and withdraw money from your account.
The way the scammers use the Lebanese Loop can vary. Often, once your ATM card is trapped, a "Good Samaritan" will show up and offer advice on how to get your card back. They may suggest that you enter your PIN number a couple of times.
They might also offer to hold the cancel button while you enter your PIN. What they're really doing is memorizing your PIN number. They're certainly not Good Samaritans but Bad Scammersl!

4. Cash Trapping.

Similar to the Good Samaritan Trap where a thin sleeve traps your card, this time your cash is trapped by a sleeve or device slipped inside the cash dispenser. Your transaction will operate normally, but you won't receive the cash you've withdrawn.
Chances are you'll either walk or drive away assuming the machine is out of order or you'll go inside the bank and report the incident. Either way, you have left the machine and the thieves can walk up, remove the device, and your cash.

5. Card Photographic skimmers

Skimmers are devices added to ATM machines to capture your card's information, including your account number, balance, and PIN number. These devices, often mounted alongside a machine and labeled 'card cleaners,' are difficult to notice unless you're looking for them.
You may also find card skimmers mounted beside the normal ATM card slot with a sign that says, "slide card here first." Sometimes they are even mounted right on top of where you would normally enter your card. Skimmers can actually collect and store up to 200 ATM cards before they need to be removed by thieves.



8 Tips to Help You Protect Yourself From ATM Theft:

1. Get in the habit of using the same ATM machine for your transactions. Become familiar with it and be able to recognize changes to the machine.
2. Use ATM machines inside banks rather than on the street (where they're easier for thieves to access).
3. If you're visiting an unfamiliar ATM machine that is not inside a bank, examine it carefully for devices. Card or cash trapping devices need to be glued or taped to the card reader or cash dispenser. Look for 'extra' cameras beyond the basic and generally obvious ATM security camera.
4. Never rely on the help of strangers to retrieve a confiscated card.
5. Never use an ATM machine when other people are lingering.
6. Report confiscated cards immediately. If you can, don't leave the machine. Instead call the bank from the ATM where your card was taken using a cell phone.
7. Don't use ATM machines with extra signage or warnings posted on the machine.
8. Never follow a link in a supposed bank email notice. If you are wondering if your bank has really contacted you via email, then close the email and directly type your bank's website address into your browser. Visit your account and look for update notices directly on your account or bank's website. The email is almost always a phishing scam.

While ATM theft isn't going to go away, the Global ATM Security Alliance reports that just .0016% of all ATM transactions worldwide are affected by crime or fraud. Additionally, with a little bit of care and attention, you can avoid these scams and keep your money.

NOTE:Does entering your PIN number in reverse really makes it to hang half way or alert law enforcement agencies?
NO . Tried a lot of times but failed.That would have really been a good Idea if implemented,But I don't think the financial institutions are that interested in your protection.

There is no doubt that this will assist the teeming users of ATMs. I was a victim about a year ago, and the MO was much the same as set out here. The only slight difference is that when I was being duped, the man was wearing the bank"s name tag. As it was outside the bank, I had no doubt that he was not what the tag said. The other difference is that the bank accepted liability and paid me back. They called it security breach and paid up. I have given the ATM up since then.

Hmm gud work man