The Stuck ATM Card Scam
Thieves are putting a thin clear plastic sleeve into the atm card slot at local atm machines. When you insert your atm card, the machine can't read the strip, so it keeps asking you to re-enter your pin number. Meanwhile, someone behind you watches as you enter and re-enter your pin number. Eventually you give up, thinking the machine has captured your card and walk away. The thieves then remove the plastic sleeve complete with your card, and empty your account. The way to avoid this is to run your finger along the card slot before you insert your card. the sleeve is rigid and has a couple of tiny prongs the thieves use to get it out of the slot, and you will be able to feel them. The police would like as many people as possible to be aware of this, so please pass this information along to your family, friends, and co-workers.
The Stuck ATM Card Scam
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Posted 02 March 2005 - 06:30 PM
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Posted 02 March 2005 - 07:25 PM
Snopes.com: The Lebanese Loop
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Posted 02 March 2005 - 10:16 PM
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Posted 02 March 2005 - 11:29 PM
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Posted 03 March 2005 - 11:17 PM
A lot of ATMs today are moving to the swipe readers, which helps eliminate this problem. Also, as far as I know, if an ATM can't read the magnetic strip, it won't prompt you for the PIN. It first needs to read the magnetic encoding to verify it is a valid card. Still, you can never be too careful and always be aware of your surroundings. Luckially, I very rarely use an ATM. Credit cards when I can, cash when I must. And, with all those banks charing $2 to use their ATMs, I use good 'ol Bank of Wal-Mart with the $100 cash back at purchaseI just got this from a friend of mine that works for the DOJ
The Stuck ATM Card Scam
Thieves are putting a thin clear plastic sleeve into the atm card slot at local atm machines. When you insert your atm card, the machine can't read the strip, so it keeps asking you to re-enter your pin number. Meanwhile, someone behind you watches as you enter and re-enter your pin number. Eventually you give up, thinking the machine has captured your card and walk away. The thieves then remove the plastic sleeve complete with your card, and empty your account. The way to avoid this is to run your finger along the card slot before you insert your card. the sleeve is rigid and has a couple of tiny prongs the thieves use to get it out of the slot, and you will be able to feel them. The police would like as many people as possible to be aware of this, so please pass this information along to your family, friends, and co-workers.
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Posted 04 March 2005 - 12:55 AM
Boy, I was beginning to think that I was the only one who checked Snopes and About.com urban legends pages whenever I saw or received these type of things. My ex-girlfriend used to send me the worst sort of internet rumors and urban legend crap I had to block her. Even after numerous replies with a link to Snopes, she kept sending me the garbage.Checked snopes.com to see if this was an urban legend, but it's not -- it is true, and has happened.
Snopes.com: The Lebanese Loop
This is probably the first one I've seen that turns out to be completely true. Thanks for the tip.
"A good marriage is like an interlocking neurosis, where the rocks in one person's head fill up the holes in the other's."
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Posted 08 March 2005 - 11:18 AM
Swiping the card, or putting it into a machine, has the same effect. The machine reads the strip, obtains your account info, and then asks you for your PIN.
To prove this point, based on the scam, you should be able to take a playing card and run it through, and get the PIN prompt. Of course, you won't, because it can't read it.
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After searching for this on the web, I understand what they are doing now. It is actually just trapping your card inside the machine, and won't release it. You only enter your PIN once, get your money, but your card is never returned. The ATM will shut down if this happens.
After you leave, the person behind you (that watched you enter your PIN once), removes the plastic, and your card, and goes to another ATM to use it.
Edited by donbadabon, 08 March 2005 - 11:33 AM.
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