Here’s your unlimited ATM card

Here’s your unlimited ATM card

This is not exactly a new kind of scam, but since some genius posted this on our Facebook page we want to issue a warning about it anyway. Undoubtedly the scammers hope that potential victims haven’t heard about ATM heists like the recent ones in Taiwan and Japan.

Obviously we have removed the post from our Facebook page, but we can show you a copy here.

bewerktfbpost

Ad verbatim the post says:

We are universal hackers and we just succeeded with an illegal invention.. well, this seems strange but true.. we just succeeded with hacking universal ATM machines with a blank ATM card.

These cards could withdraw $50.000 per day, depending on how they are programmed..say goodbye to poverty. these cards are just for you. we know this is illegal but we are living large with it. I do many things on low key to avoid suspicion. I am not going to give out the blank cards for free because we spent most of our time hacking it..

so, we want to make them available for you.. NOTE: The ATM card has no registered account number, they can work anywhere in the world, and they are untraceable..I only give this card out because I just don,t  want to enjoy this card alone, because I have made my self with this blank atm card already, and even when I give it to hundreds of people, they will still work according to how it was to work, so I said no problem, but I only give this card out to people that can be serious with the card and that hold the card to their self alone, and follow up with the instruction regarding this blank atm card, can you as well email me on {redacted gmail address}

Is this possible at all?

There are a few things wrong with this claim:

  • Why would anyone share this kind of secret and risk losing their own income. The more that know about it, the bigger the risk of someone putting an end to it.
  • While it is feasible for hackers to create something that works on ATMs of a certain manufacturer or those that belong to a certain bank, one that works on every ATM is basically out of the question. You would either need to find a flaw in the banks’ software or the manufacturers’ hardware or software and neither of those are globally the same.
  • Does the blank card also disable the monitoring system that keeps track of who has used the ATM? Having your happy face on video could quickly end your life of richness.

“Jackpotting” is the term that is in use for the type of attack where a hacker gains enough control of an ATM machine, to make it pay out. And although some thieves have been known to hit the jackpot, it is not as easy as our scammers make it out to be.

So what’s it all about then?

What usually goes down with this type of scam, is that the scammer, despite the fact that he can withdraw at least $50.000 per day for himself, wants the victim to pay for the manufacturing and delivery costs for the card. In advance, of course. Which, I would guess, will set the victim back a few hundred dollars. And they will get nothing in return. At least that’s what I hope. Because it would even be more embarrassing for the victim if he got a blank card and made a fool out of himself by trying it out on the nearest ATM machine.

Summary

This particular post about an unlimited and blank ATM card has been doing the rounds for a few months now, probably following the news about the ATM heist in Taiwan that was successful in a way, but didn’t end too well for most of the participants, as they did get caught.

Keep in mind: “If it sounds too good to be true, it usually isn’t true.”

Pieter

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Pieter Arntz

Malware Intelligence Researcher

Was a Microsoft MVP in consumer security for 12 years running. Can speak four languages. Smells of rich mahogany and leather-bound books.