What to do to ensure ATM card information is not stolen?

Many Nghe An residents are confused because their ATM card accounts were withdrawn while they were sleeping.

(Baonghean.vn) - At midnight, many people received messages from the bank informing them that the money in their ATM cards had been withdrawn, while the cards were still in their wallets. From there, a group of Chinese people who specialized in stealing account information and appropriating money in ATM cards were arrested by the police.

On the afternoon of September 19, Vinh City Police said that the unit is still criminally detaining three subjects: Yang Chang Cai, also known as Duong Truong Tai (born in 1986), Denh Cong Cong, also known as Dang Thong Thong (born in 1990) and Lian Yu, also known as Luyen Vu (born in 1985), all residing in Jiangxi province, China, for the act of "Using computer networks, telecommunications networks, and electronic means to commit acts of property appropriation".

These 3 subjects were identified to have successfully installed electronic devices into Viettinbank ATMs in Hung Dung ward twice, stealing account information to counterfeit bank cards to appropriate customers' assets.

3 subjects Duong Truong Tai, Dang Thong Thong, Luyen Vu (from left to right). Photo: D.V

According to a representative of the State Bank of Vietnam, Nghe An branch, the crime of stealing ATM card information and customer accounts has been occurring for many years, mainly in the northern provinces. Only in Nghe An province, up to now, only one such case has been discovered.

To proactively prevent and stop thieves from stealing card information at banks' ATMs to appropriate assets, in addition to the authorities stepping up preventive and combat measures, the State Bank of Vietnam, Nghe An Branch, recommends that each person using ATM card services needs to raise their own vigilance during the process of registering and using ATM cards at banks.

Users should change their PIN periodically, do not disclose this code to others or on websites in any form. When making transactions, card users need to comply with the bank's regulations, and protect themselves by concealing the card information they enter.

In addition, when detecting suspicious signs such as going to the ATM in groups, covering their faces and entering the transaction point but not withdrawing money but installing strange objects in the ATM, it is necessary to immediately report to the bank via the hotline number or the police agency to promptly prevent the criminal acts of the subjects.

The State Bank of Vietnam, Nghe An branch, also recommends that people should be more vigilant when withdrawing money at ATMs. Specifically, do not make transactions if you find the following abnormalities in the ATM: There are small holes around the card reader slot (possibly a camera installed to secretly capture the keystrokes). The card reader slot cluster is larger and longer than normal. The password input keyboard is higher than normal, the keys are loose due to the information reading device; or the keyboard has small pieces of nylon or tape to collect fingerprints and steal passwords.

Customers need to be more vigilant when using ATM card services at automatic teller machines. Photo: PB

Previously, through self-inspection, a bank branch in the province discovered a case of installing a device to steal ATM card information at an ATM. This device is attached to the card reader slot of the ATM. After the ATM card is inserted into this device, the card information will be read and recorded. However, in order to withdraw money from customers, the subject also had to install a camera to steal the card password, but the branch could not find this device.

Extracting camera images, this bank branch discovered that at 8:27 p.m. on August 23, 2019, a subject came to install a device into the ATM card reader slot and at the same time removed the keyboard cover and took it away. At 7:22 p.m. on August 24, 2019, the subject returned to get the device and reinstall the keyboard cover, but because the device was no longer there, the subject only reinstalled the keyboard cover and left. This bank branch reported the above incident to superiors and the police.

More than 300 ATM cards were brought from China by the subjects. Photo: D.V

After the surveillance process, Vinh City Police, in coordination with other units, arrested 3 subjects in a hotel room on Nguyen Thai Hoc Street. At the scene, the Task Force seized 333 bank cards made in China; 3 electronic devices, 2 laptops, screwdrivers, scissors, tape, glue...

The investigation team determined that out of the 333 bank cards seized from the subjects, 319 cards had been scanned for account holder information and 14 were blank. The subjects withdrew money from the accounts of 22 cards with an amount of nearly 300 million VND.

The trick of these subjects is to use a screwdriver to remove the keyboard protection plate, attach an electronic device with a super small camera on top to record the ATM card login password. Next, attach an electronic device with a super small camera to the card reader slot to collect information about the card number, account number, bank name, amount of money, and cardholder. This information is then decoded and entered into a fake ATM card for these subjects to withdraw money.