Thieves ravage Texan ATMs

ATM machines in the great state of Texas are under attack with some criminals using more sophisticated technology than others to get their loot.

A report out of the University of Texas at Austin warns students to look out for some savvy ATM bandits. The thieves are attaching their own equipment - "skimmers" - to the front of ATM machines and then transmitting data wirelessly to a nearby car. The faux card reader sends back card number information, while a wireless camera mounted in a fake pamphlet holder sends back PIN info.

"The thieves copy the cards and use the PIN numbers to withdraw thousands from many accounts in a very short time directly from the bank ATM," the school warns.

A couple hundred miles to the North in Fort Worth, criminals are simply running their trucks into stores and then putting the ATM machine in the back of their vehicle. There is a nice account here. ®