Robert Siciliano is a NextAdvisor.com Expert Guest Blogger
Hackers hacked hackers to Defcon annual conference in Las Vegas this past weekend. Defcon is a conference for hackers of all races. There are good guys, bad guys, those who fall somewhere in between, as well as law enforcement and government officials. All kinds of creative people with an intuition for technology decend on Las Vegas to learn, explore and hack.
At Defcon this year someone planted a real, fake, malicious ATM right outside the Security Office of the Riviera Hotel and Casino. For some reason, the area outside the security office has no security cameras, which has an easy place to try a scam. Scams like this are common in Las Vegas, because of the city transient and frenetic pace. Everyone is looking for a quick profit, and where better to pull a scam that ATM Vegas?
ATM skimming is available in two flavors. In the first scenario, a device called "skimmer" is placed on the face of a working ATM. When a card is swiped, the skimmer records the data on the card, and a hidden camera records usually the PIN. Usually, the money is distributed. In the second scenario, an ATM is rigged used to record data, and placed in a public place. These ATMs are only semi-operational, and do not distribute money. This is the type of ATM that was found in Las Vegas.
A conference participant discovered the scam when he tried to use the machine and received an error message. After investigation, a computer was discovered when the security camera should have been. The computer was recording every detail "of victims. This is when the alarm was triggered and the area became a crime scene.
You can protect yourself against these types of scams by paying attention to your statements. Refute unauthorized transactions within 60 days. Consider never use again a debit card, since credit cards are safer. When using an ATM, attention to details, and look for anything that seems out of place. If your card is stuck in the machine or you notice something odd about the appearance of the machine, such as son, double sided tape, error messages, a missing security camera, or machine seems unusually old and run, do not use it. Do not use just any ATM. Instead, look for ATMs in safer places. (Of course, just outside the security office is not exactly in the middle of nowhere, so always be alert.) Use strong pins, with both upper and lowercase letters and numbers. And invest in identity theft protection. All forms of identity theft can be prevented, but identity theft protection services can dramatically reduce your risk.
Robert Siciliano, identity theft speaker, discusses ATM skimming.
Robert Siciliano is CEO of IDTheftSecurity.com, an expert on identity theft, professional speaker, security analyst, published author and television news correspondent. Siciliano works with Fortune 1000 and start-up companies as a consultant on product launches, branding, messaging, representation, SEO and media. the thoughts and advice of Siciliano on all these issues often appear in both television and print media news, including CNN, MSNBC, CNBC, FOX, Forbes and USA Today. He has 25 years of safety training as a member of the American Society for Industrial Security. He is the author of two books, including The Safety Minute: Living on high alert; How to take control of your personal safety and to prevent fraud . He also established a partnership with Uni-Ball to help raise awareness of the growing threat of identity theft and provide tips on how you can protect yourself.