Nothing to do with genealogy but...

Post by **emanday** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 3:12 pm

I've just received an email from my son. Apparently there is a new ATM scam out there, so watch out for it. Like me, he isn't always convinced about these things, but I think it is worth letting people know, just in case.

If your ATM card won't come back out of the slot, feel for two very small bits of plastic stuck to the top and bottom lips of the slot. Pull them out and your card will come out "trapped" in a folded strip of negative film or similar with a couple of notches cut in it to catch the card as the machine tries to push it out.

Apparently the scam is that a "helpful passer-by" will offer to hold down the Cancel key while you key in your PIN again, explaining that this will release it. Of course, that won't work, but he will see what you key in and will wait till you leave, retrieve your card and empty your account.

He included a Powerpoint presentation showing the scam in action which appears to have been produced by Barclays. If it's true, it's so simple it could only be described as disgustingly ingenious.

wini · Post by **wini** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 10:50 am

Mary,
I ususally avoid ATM's, if I need cash I get it from the Supermarket when I am doing my shopping.
Never had any trouble with that.

wini

davran · Post by **davran** » Thu Dec 21, 2006 2:35 pm

I HAVE heard of this before. I always try and use the machine inside the bank, but if using the outside one, just run your fingers along the card slot to make sure there is nothing unusual - and huddle over the keypad to make sure no-one can see you entering your PIN!

Post by **emanday** » Thu Dec 21, 2006 3:01 pm

Believe it or not - this scam actually has a name!

It's called the "Lebanese Loop"!

DavidWW · Post by **DavidWW** » Thu Dec 21, 2006 3:42 pm

wini wrote:Mary,
I usually avoid ATM's, if I need cash I get it from the Supermarket when I am doing my shopping.
Never had any trouble with that.

wini

Hmmmmmm...... I'd never thought of the supermarket and the "And would you like some cash back?....." offer in this context.

OK, you have to buy something, but it doesn't take a massive amount of thought and planning to fit in getting cash as well when you are in the supermarket anyway!

But most certainly much more secure than ATMs

However much I consider that I'm very confident that I'm "scam aware" I'm increasingly concerned that one of these days, when I'm in a tearing hurry, something like this will happen at an ATM!

On a similar warning theme, in the last couple of weeks I've had spoof emails telling me that a PayPal transaction has gone wrong; and just yesterday, that my eBay status was being changed to "suspended".

The PayPal spoof emails related to two alleged credit card purchases, one of a few $100, the other several $1,000 !!; so that my immediate concern, apart from anything else was that someone had hacked my credit card details.

The only objective of these emails was to get me to log on to a site that would infect my 'puter with a trojan that would then attempt to capture vital information that could lead to identity theft.

In other words, now that the banks and credit card companies are getting their act together in terms of educating their customers that they will NEVER ask for online banking account names and passwords to be confirmed to them by email, the fraudsters are moving on to other targets.

If you receive any of these new PayPal/eBay etc. spoof emails, please don't just ignore them and delete them, but also copy them to PayPal/eBay etc as appropriate.

It can take a few minutes to locate the correct email address or internal site procedure, but, unless the info is provided to PayPal/eBay etc., they can't then hunt down the villains

Online is not too bad, but, after a very recent experience that required me to check if the alleged credit card transaction had taken place, I have to comment as follows in relation to the credit card companies .....

Given the hoops that one is forced to jump through by automated telephone systems, this can take some considerable effort, as one is often placed in a situation where (a) you are forced by the lack of an appropriate option to loop back to the start of the section, or (b), worse, forced to loop back to the original start menu; or (c) dumped by the system when you attempt to indicate that no available option is appropriate; or (d) left waiting in an endless queue for a human being to respond, the endlessly repeated words being along the lines of "we are currently experiencing unprecedented levels of calls, - a member of our customer service staff will be with you 'shortly' ", - Oh aye!, that'll be right

; or (e) the registered card holder is your spouse, so that, you, a subsidiary card holder, are not entitled to the details of transactions on the account; or (f) the system times out on you, so that you have to redial and start over ...........

David

trotterbeck · Post by **trotterbeck** » Thu Dec 21, 2006 7:33 pm

Hi
With Paypal and Ebay, I immediately forward the apparent spoof to spoof@paypal.co.uk and spoof@ebay.co.uk I believe they like to know of these as they can then try to find the originators using the routing info included if you forward it, in toto.

AndyR1 · Post by **AndyR1** » Thu Dec 21, 2006 7:34 pm

I got the paypal e.mail too and the E.Bay one lucky I also got a few saying my bank account had been used from abroad, my wife was going to reply to them but glad she didnt lol. There are lots more scams out there too so beware

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Thu Dec 21, 2006 10:46 pm

Hi all

However much I consider that I'm very confident that I'm "scam aware" I'm increasingly concerned that one of these days, when I'm in a tearing hurry, something like this will happen at an ATM!

I'm sorry to have to report tht my greatest worry these days is that something drops on me from a great height or I find myself in the path of an unidentified flying object and the resultant bump to my head causes me to forget all the PINs and passwords we are required to rememebr these days. My life would grind to a very abrupt halt....

Best wishes
Lesley

Post by **emanday** » Thu Dec 21, 2006 11:37 pm

I know the feeling, Lesley, but please don't be tempted to set all your PIN's or passwords to the same combo! The people who steal cards and personal details are known to try using the same ones and get a frightening amount of success!

I was actually told by a shop assistant, when I entered the PIN from the wrong card in the machine, that keeping different PIN's was the safer route, even if I get it wrong sometimes.

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Fri Dec 22, 2006 1:11 am

Dinnae worry Mary - all my PINs and passwords are different
...but that is half the problem!!

If I don't use one for while it tends to be forgotten. The best example is when at work the system prompts for a new password just before a holiday. It is set up so that you can't use one you have used before, so no opportunity to recycle the same wee group of well worn ones. Off you go on your hols...and come back unable to log on to your own PC!!!

(since I don't write any them down anywhere, (of course

)...but that is also part of the problem if/when that bump on the head happens!!!!)

Best wishes
Lesley (who would like a crash helmet for "everyday wear" for Christmas!!

)

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