Bank warns Filipinos vs ATM fraudsters

THE LANDBANK of the Philippines warned people this week against suspected criminal syndicates who were installing equipment on automated teller machines in order to steal personal financial information.

Such equipment can be used to steal both the ATM card number and the personal identification number (PIN) code of users, the Landbank said.

The snooping equipment allows criminals to receive the information wirelessly as they wait nearby, it added.

Experts at the Landbank said the equipment used to capture the ATM card number and PIN codes is cleverly disguised to look like normal ATM equipment.

One piece of equipment, the skimmer (view image), is mounted on top of the normal ATM card slot that reads the ATM card number. The skimmer transmits information from the ATM card to the criminals in a car parked nearby.

Another way to steal ATM card information is through a hidden wireless camera disguised to look like a leaflet holder (view image). This hidden camera is usually mounted in a position where it can directly view the entry of ATM PIN codes, the Landbank said.

Once they get the information they need, criminal syndicates make copies of the cards and use the PIN numbers to withdraw cash from people whose card information had been stolen.

Officials at the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas were unavailable for comment.