CCTV:
the moment thieves used a bomb to blast cash dispenser open
Police
have warned the public to be on guard for bombs at cash points after
thieves blew up a hole in the wall to steal money in a scam usually
seen in Europe.
2
April, 2013
An
explosion ripped apart the cashpoint in a petrol station in a quiet
Hampshire village, shaking homes, on Sunday morning and showering the
floor with money.
Now
police have warned people using cashpoints to beware of wires and
cables leading to them which may be connected to a bomb.
On
the continent the number of cases of explosions being used to open
cash machines has risen sharply in recent years, and has led to
several banks being destroyed.
In
2009 two robbers were killed when they overestimated the amount of
explosives required.
Hampshire
Police released CCTV footage of the attack, which shows the forecourt
moments before the explosion blows apart the stand alone ATM.
The
blast shook nearby homes and started a small fire after the bomb was
detonated at around 4am on Sunday.
Officers
were called to the scene after a neighbour had reported hearing a
loud bang.
When
they attended the Texaco petrol station in Amesbury Road, Weyhill,
they found that the machine had been destroyed and the money from
inside stolen. It is not yet clear how much money was stolen
A
number of gas cylinders were found nearby.
Detective
Chief Inspector Stuart Murray said: "Although this was a
relatively contained explosion and fortunately no-one was injured,
the unpredictable nature of this type of offence means we could
easily have been dealing with serious injury or death.
"Our
priority is to keep the public safe and by showing this CCTV footage,
we hope it highlights how potentially dangerous an explosion of this
type can be.
"We
are aware of crimes of this nature occurring in mainland Europe which
have had serious consequences and our advice to anyone using a
cashpoint is to be extremely vigilant of any suspicious activity
nearby.
"If
you notice anything unusual, or see any wires or cables running from
the machine, do not attempt to touch it and call the police
immediately."
In
Belgium in 2009, two robbers were killed after attempting to blow up
an ATM in the town of Dinant with dynamite.
Police
say the men, who were working at night, used far too much explosives.
The bank collapsed and they were buried inside, but the ATM remained
intact.
In
2010 criminals in Berlin miscalculated the amount of explosives they
would need to open a cash point and ended up destroying the
Volksbank.
They
left the building in ruins and broke windows, doors and facades of
other properties in a 500 yards radius. Again, when police and
firemen combed the smoking ruins hours they found the safe and the
cash machine in the lobby were still intact.
German
police claimed at the time they believed that Eastern European gangs
were behind the attack, the number of which have risen sharply in
recent years.
Last
year a second German bank - Sparkasse Bank in Nottuln - was also
blown up when robbers miscalculated the amount of dynamite needed.
Chief
Inspector Gary Cooper had advised the residents to avoid the area of
the explosion on Sunday.
He
added: "We understand the sound of an explosion shook some
nearby homes and alarmed local residents.
"I
would like to praise them for remaining calm and alerting the
emergency services promptly."
There
have been cases of blowing up cash machines to steal the money across
the world, and a spate in Australia led police in the country to
issue warnings that innocent people could be killed.
ATM
Viruses Are Out to Steal Your Cash
1
April, 2013
These
days, consumers are often on the lookout for identity
theft scams
that may end up compromising many aspects of their finances, but now
criminals are doing even more to rip them off, including targeting
their banks with malicious software.
A new type of malware that targets point-of-sale systems and ATM card readers known as "Dump Memory Grabber" scans those devices for payment card data and is beginning to infect a large number of the nation's largest banks, according to a report from SecurityWeek. The list of victims of this new software already includes Chase, Capital One, and Citibank, as well as Union Bank of California. In addition, it seems possible that store-branded credit cards may have also been compromised, because a video of the malware in action, which was posted to a Russian hacker forum, showed a number of Nordstrom's cards potentially having been exposed.
The malware itself collects data stored in a card reader's log files, filters the data quickly for credit card information, and then compiles all of it to a simple text file, the report said. That file can in turn be set to download straight to a hacker's server, or even be sent via email.
A new type of malware that targets point-of-sale systems and ATM card readers known as "Dump Memory Grabber" scans those devices for payment card data and is beginning to infect a large number of the nation's largest banks, according to a report from SecurityWeek. The list of victims of this new software already includes Chase, Capital One, and Citibank, as well as Union Bank of California. In addition, it seems possible that store-branded credit cards may have also been compromised, because a video of the malware in action, which was posted to a Russian hacker forum, showed a number of Nordstrom's cards potentially having been exposed.
The malware itself collects data stored in a card reader's log files, filters the data quickly for credit card information, and then compiles all of it to a simple text file, the report said. That file can in turn be set to download straight to a hacker's server, or even be sent via email.
Information
gathered about the creator of the Dump Memory Grabber malware seems
to indicate that he is well-known in the Russian hacking community
and has been involved with a large cybercriminal collective -
potentially as its administrator - that engages in this type of
activity, as well as attacks against a number of well-known security
entities, the report said. Further, at least several of the group's
members are also active in Anonymous, and most are younger than 23
years old.
This is certainly not the first type of malware targeted directly at point of sale card readers and ATMs in the last few months, as a program known as "Dexter" may have recently stolen as many as 80,000 credit card numbers from Subway restaurants in 2012, the report said. In all, 42 percent of Dexter infections worldwide were located in the U.S.
The best way consumers can make sure they are not affected by these scams is to pay with cash whenever possible, and also keep close tabs on their financial documents for any suspicious charges that they may not recognize. These may be a sign that an account has been compromised
This is certainly not the first type of malware targeted directly at point of sale card readers and ATMs in the last few months, as a program known as "Dexter" may have recently stolen as many as 80,000 credit card numbers from Subway restaurants in 2012, the report said. In all, 42 percent of Dexter infections worldwide were located in the U.S.
The best way consumers can make sure they are not affected by these scams is to pay with cash whenever possible, and also keep close tabs on their financial documents for any suspicious charges that they may not recognize. These may be a sign that an account has been compromised
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