Caught on Camera: ATM Skimmers
Suspects allegedly install skimming devices designed to steal debit card PINs.
March 31, 2010 — -- It's a rare look at ATM skimmers caught in the act -- security cameras capturing suspects boldly driving up to a Daytona Beach, Fla., Bank of America branch and installing a skimming device that can steal your ATM card and pin information.
For seven hours the thieves were able to steal customers' data until a bank employee noticed something was wrong and called police.
"It's got a battery attached to it," said police officer Paul Barnett. "It's got an antenna attached to it. It doesn't really look like something you'd make in your garage, its pretty high-tech."
The bank's security cameras showed that at 9 a.m. on a Sunday, a dark-colored Honda SUV with two men inside drove up to the bank. One man got out of the car with a device in hand and attached it to the automatic teller machine at the bank's entrance.
Minutes later, the men drove around to the bank's drive-through ATM, where they placed an "out of service" note on the machine which directed ATM users to the rigged machine inside.
In Hollywood, thieves often come up with elaborate schemes to steal cash, but with this ATM "skimming" scam, just one device placed at an ATM can steal hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Nationwide, the U.S. Secret Service estimates that $1 billion a year is lost from skimming.
And "Good Morning America" found out how easy it is to do.
Protect Yourself From Skimmers
The skimming device is placed over the ATM card slot, capturing your card number. Then, a hidden camera records your PIN number.
"When the consumer least expects it, that's when they go and they hit the account," Cpl. Jeff Whitmarsh of the Delaware State Police said.
Using machines available for sale right on the Internet, thieves can transfer your information to a brand new credit card.
Chris O'Ferrell, an expert "ethical hacker," showed us how it's done. In just a few minutes, he was able to create a duplicate of a card we used as an example.
It's a troubling crime which continues to vex law enforcement and the banking industry.
Click here to learn how to protect yourself from ATM skimmers.
ABC News' Cleopatra Andreadis contributed to this report.