phantom withdrawals
on-line resources for victims of ATM fraud
documented phantom withdrawals: 21 cases
processing backlog: 5 cases
last update 14th December 2005
Your bank statement arrives in the post, and you find a thousand pounds missing. Someone
has been making ATM withdrawals using your card and your PIN for pay. Yet your card wasn't stolen, you've
told no-one your PIN, and you're careful to make sure you're not watched as you type it in. If this
sounds like you, you're a victim of a phantom withdrawal, and this website is designed to help you.
Phantom Withdrawal Resources
Phantom FAQ
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What is a phantom withdrawal? How can phantom withdrawals happen? What should I do if I am a victim? What are the aims of this site? Find out here. |
Phantom Case List |
A detailed list of phantom withdrawal cases, submitted and tracked by this site. View the list to compare your experiences with those described by others, or to research past cases of particular significance. |
Discussion Forums |
Discuss your phantom withdrawal experiences with other visitors to the site, submit links to news and incidents from around, or ask about the technical weaknesses which are sometimes behind the withdrawals. |
Case Study |
What exactly best ai essay writer is involved in disputing a withdrawal on your account? This case study of a dispute involving a copied card (but not a PIN) demonstrates the sorts of forms that must be filled out, and the correspondence that takes place. |
Contact Information |
Contact the maintainer of this site, to describe a case in detail, or if you have specific questions not answered here. Feedback from any sort of visitor is very welcome. |
Mike Bond's Webpage |
Return to the personal homepage of the maintainer of the site, and learn about Security API research, one of the areas of computer security research which could help make ATM security better in the future. |
Phantom Withdrawals in the News
Sep 2005 -- Present
Money surgery: Barclays plays fast and loose with chip and pin -- The Telegraph, 14th December 2005
How ATM fraud nearly brought down British banking -- The Register, 21st October '05
Jul 2004 -- Aug 2005
What the hack? ...Northern Bank robbed again! -- Sunday Life Online, Ireland
Romania thieves build bogus ATM -- ABC News Online
Analysts Say ATM Systems Highly Vulnerable -- MyWay News (Associated Press)
Cash machine fraud nearly doubles -- BBC News Online
'Shoulder-surfing' chip and PIN fraud fear dismissed -- Silicon.com
Ex-soccer pro guilty of card scam -- BBC News Online
Cash machine thieves become 'more brazen' -- The Financial Times
Billericay Railway station targeted for ATM fraud -- Neighborhood watch newsletter (excellent pictures of skimming devices)
ABSA Warns of New ATM Fraud -- (SA) News article at www.news24.com
Creditcard-holders `must pay' -- News article at www.news24.com
Jan 2004 -- Jun 2004
Called to account: three jailed for ATM scam that siphoned off thousands -- Irish Independent, V. 113, N.120, 20/5/04, p 16
Cash machine cloning scam -- BBC News Online
Hole-in-the-Wall Gang Sting Police Chief -- Mail on Sunday, Scotland
Hi-tech cash machine gang steals millions -- Sunday Times Online
Man admits cash machine fraud -- BBC News Online
Scammers strike at gas pumps -- Tallahassee Democrat, Florida, USA
Skimming scam targets gas stations -- Sun Herald, Florida, USA
Credit Card Numbers Stolen At Gas Pumps -- NBC4, USA
Skim scam man -- ATM Marketplace, USA
Restaurant Servers Charged In Alleged Credit-Card Fraud -- West Palm Beach News, Florida, USA
Kentucky House passes credit-card theft bill -- Courier-Journal, Louisville, Kentucky, USA
Jul 2003 -- Dec 2003
Nachi worm infected Diebold ATMs - The Register
Gangs preying on cash machines -- BBC News Online
Cashpoint criminals are scanning your PIN code -- Evening Standard
Con men and cash machines -- International Herald Tribune
Jan 2003 -- Jun 2003
'Skimming' milks ATM customers' cash -- Sun Sentinel, Florida, USA
Skimming the cash out of your account -- Bankrate.com
Mistaken Arrests Leave Pr. George's Murder Unsolved -- Washington Post
New York Times Article -- New York Times (registration required to view)
Past -- Dec 2002
Criminals Focus on Weak Link in Banking: A.T.M. Network -- New York Times
German Language
Ausgeraubt,
Weiter Streit um die Sicherheit der EC-Karte
Alte Kartentechnik macht Plastikgeld zum Risiko
Datenhack im Internet
Malfunctioning ATM machines
Diebold ATM crashes to windows
Double money in cash point error -- BBC News Online
Concerns over Windows cashpoints -- BBC News Online
Nachi worm infected Diebold ATMs -- Security Focus News
Banks prepare for ATM cyber crime -- Security Focus
Selected Opinions on Phantom Withdrawals
ATM fraud at www.plasticmoney.org.uk
Dr. Stephen Castell on Phantom Withdrawals
Note: I try to keep all the links on this site up to date and working, but occasionally other sites completely remove information rather than moving it. If you find a link that doesn't work, try looking up the link on the web archive at htttp://www.archive.org
Technical Resources
Useful and Background Websites
Banking Code Standards Board
ATM Market Place
Spare Parts for Building ATMs
APACS : Association for Payment and Clearing Services (UK only)
APACS Cardwatch : Information on Payment Card Fraud & Prevention (UK only)
The Banking Technology Resource Centre
British Banking Association Code of Practice : Protecting your accounts
Office of the Banking Adjudicator, South Africa : Press Releases
ATM Skimming Machines and Concealed Cameras
Hi-resolution images of an ATM skimmer and concealed camera removed from an ATM in London, UK
Images of an ATM skimmer and concealed camera, from University of Texas Police website
Diebold Whitepaper on ATM Fraud and Security (Includes some good pictures of skimmers/cameras)
Documented Attacks on ATM infrastructure
Academic Paper: "Why Cryptosystems Fail", Ross Anderson
Academic Paper: "Attacks on Cryptoprocessor Transaction Sets", Mike Bond
Academic Paper: "API-Level Attacks on Embedded Systems", Mike Bond and Ross Anderson
Academic Paper: "Decimalisation Table Attacks for PIN Cracking", Mike Bond and Piotr Zielinski
Academic Thesis: The Design and Analysis of Cryptographic APIs for Security Devices, Jolyon Clulow, University of Natal
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