The Register® — Biting the hand that feeds IT

Bank issues cashpoint warning

Watch yourselves out there

Free whitepaper – Certify your software integrity with Thawte code signing certificates

First Direct has written to one hundred thousand of its customers warning them of the danger of cashpoint-based fraud. The bank is warning the ten per cent of its customers who use cashpoints most frequently that they are increasing the risk of being a victim of such fraud.

A spokeswoman for First Direct told The Register: "It is like crossing the road, every time you do it there is a small risk, so you shouldn't do it more than you have to. If someone is taking out £20 three times a day they're increasing their chances of cashpoint fraud." Apacs estimates £39m was lost to cashpoint fraud in 2003.

The spokeswoman said the bank was not advocating carrying large amounts of cash: "We are just warning people of the risks and advising them that there are alternatives," she said.

Police in Carlisle, Cumbria last month found a device attached to an cashpoint which copied cards put in the machine. Thieves had also installed a pinhole camera to pick up customers PIN numbers. ®

Related stories

Phishing attacks on the rise
Thieves ravage Texan ATMs
Halifax users locked out of ATMs

Free whitepaper – Securing your Apache web server with a Thawte digital certificate

Don’t Miss

HandcuffsFeds: Hospital hacker's 'massive' DDoS averted

Arrest foils 'Devil's Day' scheme

thumbs down teaser 75Buggy 'smart meters' open door to power-grid botnet

Grid-burrowing worm only the beginning

MicrosoftMicrosoft knew of nasty IE bug a year before attacks

Security delayed or security denied?

BlockMaster SafeStickBlockMaster SafeStick hardware-encrypted USB drive

Review Tough enough?