ATM scam - slightly off-topic reply

[Michael Bacon]

On Wednesday, June 09, 1999 10:17 AM, Alan Burkitt-Gray 
[SMTP:alan@kable.co.uk] wrote:
>Quentin Campbell <Q.G.Campbell@newcastle.ac.uk> writes
>>
>>I understand that there has been a spate of similar thefts of card
> info
>>recently by tampering with the ATM in such a way that card details
> and PIN
>>can be recorded remotely. Does anyone have any further information
> on the
>>technique(s) used?  Are ATMs in bank lobbies less vulnerable?
>
> My wife's personal experience from yesterday, at a legit bank machine
> (installed in a railway station) in south-east London: She took out ?50.
[snip - MB] My wife complained to our bank manager (at the nearest
> branch, about a mile away): [snip - MB] (he) confirmed on the bank's 
computer
> system that the right deduction had been made.
[snip - MB]
> (And, in case any bank people are reading this, I expect it is a clear
> contravention of the Data Protection Act to try to match up my name at 
the
> foot of this e-mail with any accounts you might hold to try to identify 
the
> bank and the manager in question - so watch it!)
>
Sorry, but I suspect that the Banks' DP Registration(s) will cover this - 
those that I've seen would - and it might be argued that the general "Crime 
and taxation" exemption covers this (sort of) purpose.

If this case hadn't been reported through the Bank's normal channels then 
I'm sure that the Bank's security / investigations people would feel 
justified in following up by tracing the customer>bank>branch link in case 
there was skull-duggery at the branch.

Michael (Streaky) Bacon