Up Close With A 3D-Printed Card Skimmer
9th December 2011
I’ve recently fallen into the habit of pulling and tugging at ATM slots before I slide my card through because I fear that someone nefarious has stuck one of these 3D-printed card skimmers over the opening. This skimmer, found in California, was 3D-printed to resemble the real Chase ATM slot almost perfectly.
Wildly enough, there’s a pinhole camera connected to a full PCB hidden under the plate and the ports designed to assist the visually impaired seem to be unimpeded, which means nothing would seem amiss even as this thing grabbed your card account number, PIN, and, presumably, the security code on the back of your card in some cases. The fact that this barnacle of electronics is attached, parasitically, to one of the most secure and human-proof devices in existence is an amazing feat.
One protection is to use a local or regional bank — or, better yet, a Credit Union — rather than one of the national megabanks. Scammers are going to be after Chase or Citibank, not Widespot Credit Union.