FBI Investigating Major ATM Hacking Ring - lasvegasnow.com - 02 Jul 2008

The FBI has caught a group of cyber thieves who are accused of hacking into Citibank's ATM system and stealing millions from unsuspecting customers.

Metro Police says this crime proves even savvy consumers who guard their ATM cards can fall prey to the growing trend of cyber crime.

The FBI says the hackers would target Citibank ATM's inside 7-11 stores.

The bureau says the suspects didn't even have to touch the machines, they just hacked into the software system. When a customer would type in their pin, it would then transfer to the suspect's computers, allowing them to steal cash right from their accounts.

Citibank officials aren't saying how many customer accounts were compromised, but investigators believe the ATM hacking had been going on from October of 2007 to March of 2008. All affected customers have been notified.

Federal prosecutors in New York say a group of identity thieves were able you find a security hole in the ATM systems and steal the customers pin numbers. Officials say they got away with millions before the FBI finally caught up.

"If someone can access, what in theory should be an encrypted system and someone hacks into it, I can see how someone would feel uneasy about that," said Jacinto Rivera with Metro Police.

Officers warn people to stand guard when taking money from the ATM. But the latest case proves that looking over your shoulder just isn't good enough anymore.

"It makes me not want to use the ATM's at the convince stores," said Zachary Tawresey.

Tech savvy criminals are moving away from older methods and are infiltrating the machines operating system, leaving no sings of tampering. Investigators aren't saying how they did it.

"I feel a little safer by doing it at the bank because they have more control over technology," said Tawresey.

According to the Associated Press, that's not true. The banking industry has pushed for tougher encryption standards but some ATM operators aren't doing it properly.

There are more than 5,000 Citibank ATM's in 7-11's across the country including several here in the valley. Investigators believe the suspects got away with at least $2 million. All three have been charged with conspiracy and fraud.