Police investigators discovered that fraudsters started relying on carefully placed gadgets that utilize rat glue to trap cash while it’s being redrawn from automated teller machines.
Since banks began implementing better security solutions that prevent crooks from installing skimming devices, they started using more unsophisticated methods that are just as efficient as any complex mechanism that can be deployed to steal money from ATMs.
The
London Evening Standard reports that the simple devices are being used all over London with a high rate of success.
The rat glue scheme is not new, but so far it has been used to trap credit cards instead of money. Since that method is more complicated due to the fact that a PIN is also required, some began relying on similar strategies to steal cash.
Individuals may believe the ATM is broken, but in fact, all the money that’s ejected by the machine gets trapped, just waiting for the villains to come and pick it up.
“They get between £30 ($46 or 35 EUR) to £50 ($77 or 58 EUR) a time or more and do the trick at different machines three to four times a night, so it can be quite lucrative,” said a detective that deals with such scams.
The sums may not seem much, but a single gang managed to make around $308,000 (232,000 EUR) in just over a month.
Not all the crooks are skilled hackers and since people are becoming more aware of phishing operations, some went back to the old ways of making illegal fortunes.
Recent reports say that the number of ATM frauds increased, devices that prevent cash from being ejected becoming more popular. It’s no wonder that the phenomenon is continually rising, last year more than $50 million (38 million EUR) being gained by thieves only in the UK.
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