Thieves use Eee PC in Brazilian ATM scam
By Nilay Patel 
posted April 22nd 2008 7:14PM
posted April 22nd 2008 7:14PM
posted April 22nd 2008 7:14PM
A look back on popular stories from today in a specific year.
Now that we've thrown 'em off the trail, use the form below to get in touch with the people at Engadget. Please fill in all of the required fields because they're required.
ILLUSION, tricks are things whores do for money
FULL TRANSLATION:
A Man was reporting a traffic accident to a police station located in the brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul, when instead of help he ended up arrested. He was a member of a criminal group specialized in credit card cloning with portable computers installed at ATMs.
The images recorded by the banks security system show the criminal in action. He enters the bank, chooses his preffered ATM to install the laptop computer, some minutes later another criminal enters the bank to open the ATM and finish the job. All other ATMs are also destroyed, leaving only the hacked machine working.
The Police Officer explains that the criminals used the EeePC to store credit card info and passwords, then they would use the data to create fake(but working) credit cards.
But their brilliant plan didn't go quite as expected. The manager of the bank, on a casual visit to his working place, notted signs of a possible break in and that only one ATM was working. Suspecting something he verified the security cam images and went straight to the Police.
The group also managed to rent and crash the escape vehicle, the accident was reported to a local Police Station by one of the criminals, who was soon arrested and identified by the bank's security agents. All the criminals were wanted for previous incidents involving banks.
Now we know if we see a row of broken ATMs and only one working one, not to use it. Not that I ever use ATMs. But it's great to learn cause KNOWLEDGE IS POWER!
The first government head that tries to outlaw the EEE PC as a "theft device" will be shot on sight.
Don't give them any ideas...
You know, some times ago the Supremo Tribunal Federal (the Brazilian Supreme Court) forced *all* Brazilian Internet providers to block YouTube. Now, a jurist is trying to block wordpress.com. Forbidding EeePC based on this crime would be no surprise :(
You couldn't use a macbook air to do this.
I don't think these guys would have got could if they waited for the Atom CPU version of the ASUS eee.
Too many translations already, so no need for another one. Anyway, I´ve already worked on IT (outsourced) for a bank here in Brazil, and those ATM machines have a weak latch on the front usually. But I assure the coffer is pretty much solid, and way too heavy. But as they´ve got access to the keyboard and screen, that´s not too much security, as the data is more valuable.
As for phelipe´s comment on what is typical in Brazil... that was crap.
Dude... OMG. I my bank account is on that bank (not in that agency, thanks god : )
Btw: Don't laugh folks, that bank uses Windows 98 in their ATM (yes, i've seen some win9x styles BSOD in the atm's)
Also, that bank is called Banco Real (the brazilian bank is owned by ABN Amro Bank, now owned by the spanish Santander group).
HA HA!!! They said ATM Machine!
Now I'll have to enter my PIN Number. Then it will be sent out the NIC Card. Good thing those Automated Teller Machine Machines don't ask for an SSN Number!!
i beleive ssn stands for social security number
therefore you just wrote
social security number number
Instructions for AutoTom
1) Re-Read the Engadget Story. Especially the line that says “surreptitiously hiding inside an ATM machine”
2) Go to Wikipedia
3) Look up the meaning of ATM
4) Look up the meaning of PIN
5) Look up the meaning of NIC
7) Look up “mock”
8) Read that I actually wrote out the entire meaning of ATM
9) Realize I used 4 redundant acronyms to mock Engadget’s 1
10) Find it funny
@AutoTom
Fail!
Someone has a case of RAS Syndrome... let's hope it doesn't progress to second degree Redundant RAS Syndrome.
Right, off to the Auomated ATM Machine.
Thank god we have smart people round here like you to correct us all.
Auto Tom
are u not seeing what Allan is doing. He's mocking the person who wrote ATM machines. They are actually writing out the alst letter in the arconym. I.E PIN Number, NIC Card get it now :-)
That was the point.
ATM - Automated Teller Machine
NIC - Network Interface Card
PIN - Personal Identification Number
So, ATM Machine, NIC Card, PIN Number, etc. is FUNNY!!
Portuguese is fcking ugly language... Look at the exaggerated expression of the reporters.
Have you ever wondered how english sounds for people that don't speak it at all? Oh no, you haven't...
your so stupid ugly as well...i hope you're not Portuguese...cause i don't want you to disgrace Portuguese people...and Brazilian are not Portuguese in Country identity..
It reminds me that scene from Terminator 2 where john connor steals cash from a ATM with an Atari Portfolio.
This does too:
Chris @ Apr 22nd 2008 7:48PM
Eeeasy Money!
**Rides off on dirtbike with Guns N' Roses Blaring**
keep an eye out for ATMs that:
* having lots of spelling mistakes
* offer a business partner ship in Nigeria
* claim you have won the European lottery
* invite you to punch the monkey
"any Portuguese speakers care to translate?"
It says ethetheth etheth gizmo chris waddle. Etheth eth eth boutros boutros ghali.
Português:
Caralho ein? Daqui a pouco a gente pode comentar só em português, afinal, a penca de brasileiro que traduziu essa merda foi enorme!! Parabéns!
Translation:
WTF huh? In a short time we can only post comments in portuguese, by the way, the amount of brazilians which translated this s*** was huge!!
Congrats!
EePCs + ATMs = jackpot!!
Smart enough to do all that, and forget about the cameras?!
Here the translation.
A man was registering a traffic accident in the Serra Gaúcha, but instead of obtaining aid he finished prisoner. It was part of a group specialized in clone of cards with use of laptop installed in ATM.
The images recorded of bank video security, shows the criminals action. A coup-minded one enters and chooses the terminal where laptop will be installed. Minutes later another man appears and helps to remove the equipment’s cover. The others ATM are made unusable so that customers use only the one that is with laptop.
This is the device found for the policemen. It was through them that the outlaws went to store the information of the cards and the PIN customers.
Clovis de Souza - When the customer makes this type of operation its data already is stored in the electronic equipment. Other elements make, then, the reading of the stored data and made cloned magnetic cards.
Reporter - The plan of the outlaws failed because of small coincidences. In Saturday the manager of the bank passed for the agency, perceived that the door was burglarized and that only one terminal was functioning. He was distrustful, he verified the images of security video and was direct to Police. The investigators not yet had started the searches when one of the outlaws, certain of would not be caught if it presented in a police station following advices of a vehicles’ landlord to go registering a traffic accident. The policeman recognized the criminal be the same person of video security.
Sincerely
José Rocha
Portugal
mental note for would-be-thieves:
check for and spray-paint/disable all security cameras.
I just loved how they kept looking if people were coming, they should have dressed up in serviceman outfits with caps and maybe grow out a mustache or a beard or something. Then if someone approached them they could flash a fake repair work order and fake ID.
For the non-portuguese speaking:
One of the guys was caught bc he went to a police station to file a car accident complain. He had a car accident w/ a rental car and the rental car company told him to go to the police station to register it.
Since the bank manager had already taken the security tapes to that same police station he was recognized by the cops.