Saturday, August 31, 2013

Warning issued on ATM scam theft

ATMs also provide for an inviting target for scams. Irish authorities recently issued this alert on an ATM scam.

The Irish Payments Services Organisation has issued a warning to ATM users against a new type of distraction scam, reports of which are becoming more and more prevalent across the country.
Targeting in particular, vulnerable groups such as the elderly, the scheme involves the criminals placing a device on the ATM which holds the user’s card, and observes them applying their pin.
When the ATM user becomes frustrated at their card being trapped, the scammer is on hand to help. Having placed the device in the machine, the thief know exactly how to retrieve the card safely. Returned to the customer however is a ‘dummy’ card.

Don't forget to check out ATMs for Amateurs by Josef Toth.

Minn. man pleads guilty to stealing from ATMs

ATMs continue to be lucrative targets for thieves. Here's a story that is about to serve his punishment for trying to steal from several ATMS in Minnesota and North Dakota. 

A former armored truck driver has pleaded guilty to stealing more than $182,000 from ATMs in Minnesota and North Dakota.
Thirty-one-year-old Christopher James Diestler of Fergus Falls pleaded guilty Thursday to one count of bank larceny.
Don't forget to check out ATMs for Amateurs by Josef Toth. 

Thursday, August 29, 2013

The History of the ATM

Ever want to know the history behind the invention now known as the ATM. Check out this site. 

In 1939, Luther Simjian patented an early and not-so-successful prototype of an ATM.
However, some experts have the opinion that James Goodfellow of Scotland holds the earliest patent date of 1966 for a modern ATM, and John D White (also of Docutel) in the US is often credited with inventing the first free-standing ATM design. In 1967, John Shepherd-Barron invented and installed an ATM in a Barclays Bank in London. Don Wetzel invented an American made ATM in 1968.

Don't forget to check out ATMs for Amateurs by Josef Toth.

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

How Would a Bitcoin ATM Work?

Anyone want know how a bitcoin ATM would work, check out this story. 

The digital currency Bitcoin is heading to the physical world. Lamassu has begun production on a Bitcoin ATM and plans to ship 15 preliminary units in September.
The Bitcoin Machine would allow people unfamiliar with Bitcoin exchanges to convert cash into the digital currency without having to sign up with an online exchange. When Lamassu, which is based in Porta, Portugal, began taking preorders on Monday, the company received enough interest to fund the preliminary production units. The new batch of preorders are expected to ship by the end of the year.
Don't forget to check out ATMs for Amateurs by Josef Toth

Friday, August 23, 2013

The World's First Bitcoin ATM May End Up in Cash-Strapped Cyprus

Bitcoin ATMs seem to be the new fad, and according to this article, one may wind up in Cyprus.

  Charging ahead of the bitcoin start-up stampede, Jeff Berwick (Founder of Stockhouse.com and TDV Media), has announced the debut of Bitcoin ATM, with hope to launch its first machine in Cyprus. This couldn't be more timely, as Antreas Artemis, head of the island nation's largest bank, has suddenly resigned amidst a banking crisis in the small Mediterranean country.
To try to quell the crisis, which has led some to speculate that Cyprus might make a disastrous exit from the eurozone, the country will now enforce weekly withdrawal limits. Banks, meanwhile, are closed until Thursday, and Cyprus's finance minister has said that bank accounts with 100,000 euros or more may see up to 40 percent of those funds converted into bank shares.

Don't forget to check out ATMs for Amateurs by Josef Toth.

Thursday, August 22, 2013

ATM users warned about latest scam

Check out this site for some defenses against ATM scams.

The Irish Payment Services Organisation is warning ATM users about a new scam, in which criminals are distracting cardholders in order to steal their bank cards.
The IPSO has said that fraudsters are targeting elderly and vulnerable bank customers.
In the past week, at least six cases of this latest ATM scam have resulted in losses of €30,000, according to the organisation.
Don't forget to buy ATMs for Amateurs by Josef Toth.  Today the book is available for free.

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Wichita Police Investigate Another Attempted ATM Theft

ATM thefts have been covered in-depth by the media. Here's one from Wichita. 

Wichita Police say they're concerned about several recent cases of ATM break-ins and thefts, with another incident reported overnight.
Around 1:30 this morning, officers were dispatched to Meritrust Bank near 135th Street West and Maple in west Wichita.
Someone had pried the door into the bank's foyer, then tried to get cash out of the ATM by prying off the cover. The attempt was unsuccessful and set off an alarm, alerting police. The suspect was not on scene when officers arrived.
Don't forget to buy ATMs for Amateurs by Josef Toth

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Shoppers Cry When ATM breaks in Nigeria

Here's a humorous story involving an ATM mishap in Nigeria. 

Adeola Akinremi writes that shoppers in Lagos are finding it difficult to access cash through the Automated Teller Machines (ATM), as most banks in the country are neglecting their responsibilities towards providing quality service through the ATMs.

There is a growing discontent among bank customers in Lagos and perhaps in other big cities across the country. Nowadays, frequent long queues are seen at the different locations of Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) and customers are worried and frustrated that they spend more time than necessary trying to withdraw cash from the ATMs for their shopping.

Don't forget to check out ATMs for Amateurs by Josef Toth.

Monday, August 19, 2013

Need Bitcoins? This ATM takes dollars and funds your account

Two entrepreneurs from New Hampshire are working on a bitcoin ATM.

Zach Harvey has an ambitious plan to accelerate adoption of the Internet's favorite alternative currency: installing in thousands of bars, restaurants, and grocery stores ATMs that will let you buy Bitcoins anonymously.
It's the opposite of a traditional automated teller that dispenses currency. Instead, these Bitcoin ATMs will accept dollar bills -- using the same validation mechanism as vending machines -- and instantly convert the amount to Bitcoins and deposit the result in your account. 

Don't forget to check out ATMs for Amateurs by Josef Toth

Sunday, August 18, 2013

Bitcoin ATM Makers Open Pre-Orders & Fund Initial Run Of 15 Banknote-Eating Machines

Here's another article on the newest fad in ATMs, the bitcoin ATM.

Bitcoin startup Lamassu Bitcoin Ventures, the makers of a Bitcoin ATM which promises to eat your paper (fiat) money and spit Bitcoins into your digital wallet in return, have funded their initial production run of 15 units a few hours after kicking off pre-orders (via their website) — taking the bulk of payments in Bitcoin, fittingly.

Don't forget to also check out ATMs for Amateurs by Josef Toth.

Friday, August 16, 2013

Decoding Bitcoin

Here's an article for everything you need to know about the new phenomenon of bitcoins.

Chances are you have never used a Bitcoin, but you’ve probably heard of it.
 The virtual currency is popping up more and more in the news and the government has been showing an increased interest in the subject.

For instance, the top Democrat and Republican on the Senate’s Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee this week told federal financial regulators and law enforcement officials to explain how they are keeping tabs on “virtual” currencies, including the $1.2 billion market for Bitcoins.

Don't forget to check out ATMs for Amateurs by Josef Toth.

Thursday, August 15, 2013

Rampant Skimming at South Florida ATMs

South Florida reports on rampant skimming at ATMs there.

Police here investigating damage to a Publix ATM machine found evidence of two white males installing and retrieving "skimming" devices that allow them to drain the bank accounts of ATM users.

On Monday, Port St. Lucie Police went to Publix at 9100 S. US Highway 1. The ATM had a hole drilled into the bottom of the card reader. With no evidence of a skimming device but more reports of similar damage to other ATMS, they worked with Publix security officials to review surveillance video from Vero Beach, Palm Beach Gardens and Boynton Beach locations. The videos show two white males installing what appeared to be bank card skimming devices. Later, they return to retrieve the devices containing users' ATM card info.

Don't forget to get a copy of ATMs for Amateurs by Josef Toth

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

'80% of ATMs already complaining with new BSP rule'

In the Phillippines, citizens are having trouble adjusting to new ATM rule.

Around 80% of the total ATM system in the country is already compliant with the "end-to-end triple data encryption standard (3DES)", according to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.

"Most of the new machines being installed now are 3DES. Based on our estimates, of the total ATMs today, around 80% are already 3DES-compliant to begin with. So there's the smaller component that needs to make this migration by 2015," BSP deputy governor Nestor Espenilla told ANC.

The BSP had recently approved the Enhanced Information Technology Risk Management Framework last August 1. As part of the framework, banks are required to adopt the 3DES in their ATMs nationwide by January 2015, and to replace ATM cards with EMV-enabled ones by January 2017.

Don't forget to check out ATMs for Amateurs by Josef Toth

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Congress starts looking into Bitcoin

The story sounds like it was inevitable.

A Senate committee is pressing federal regulators and law enforcement officials to explain how they plan to oversee Bitcoin and other virtual currencies as the issue gains increasing attention from government officials concerned about the role these new markets will play in the future.

The Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee on Monday sent letters to several agencies requesting that they disclose their virtual currency policies, how they developed them, how agencies are coordinating and finally what they plan to do going forward.
Don't forget to check out ATMs for Amateurs by Josef Toth

Monday, August 12, 2013

ATM catches fire during robbery attempt in Philly

Things got quite frightening at an ATM in Philadelphia.

Philadelphia police say an ATM caught fire at a bank after thieves had cut wires to try to disable an alarm during an attempted robbery.

WCAU-TV reports (http://bit.ly/19dlIEz ) the suspects had broken into the back door of a Wells Fargo location in south Philadelphia around 5 a.m. Monday. Police say they cut some wiring and were apparently trying to disable an alarm when the machine caught fire.
Don't forget to check out ATMs for Amateurs by Josef Toth. 

Sunday, August 11, 2013

Bank staff foil ATM heist in India

This one sounds like it's straight out of a movie.

Mariyappa, junior engineer with BescomArakere on Bannerghatta Road was resting in his office when he heard a rumble around 2am, of a heavy object being moved carefully, inch by inch. Mariyappa and four associates had just attended to a problem nearGottigere.
He thought some workers in building under construction had started work. Then, he thought of the ATM heists in and around Bangalore. Alerting his jeep driver Ravi Kumar, Mariyapparolled down the shutters and rushed out. He saw four men, with faces covered, loading the ATM unit onto a Mahendra jeep. The Bescom office is next to an ATM in a two-floor commercial complex.

Also, don't forget to check out ATMs for Amateurs by Josef Toth now for only 99 cents. 

Saturday, August 10, 2013

ATM theft: veteran robbed of $13,000, court told

Here's a disturbing story out of Australia. A man hired to take care of an elderly man has been charged with theft after using that man's ATM card for about $13,000 in unauthorized charges. 

The carer and cleaner for a Korean War veteran has pleaded not guilty to using the elderly man's ATM card to spend more than $13,000.
Damien Paul Watkins, of South Windsor, will remain behind bars after a magistrate at Newtown Local Court refused bail.
Mr Watkins, 41, is charged with 11 offences, including dishonestly obtaining property by deception and stealing property.
The court heard 80-year-old Leonard Rice uses a wheelchair to get around and gave his PIN to neighbours so they can shop for him.