How To Field Test Your Fake ATM

If you're a hacker outfit and you really, really think your fake ATM has the juice to fool the pros and you're willing to field test it in a live fire situation, you have to admit that rolling it out in Vegas during the Defcon and Black Hat cyber security conferences is one hell of a crucible.

Last week, fraudsters apparently set up a fake ATM kiosk in the Riviera Hotel Casino. However, it was quickly spotted by sharp-eyed hackers who noted it looked a little different from the usual ATM.

This machine was reportedly designed to log the card data and PIN numbers of anyone using it; that information could be used to make counterfeit cards.

Defcon organizers called in law enforcement, which removed the machine.

Separately, the U.S. Secret Service and the Las Vegas Police Department are reported to be investigating complaints about ATM machines that debited users' accounts without giving them any money.

Attendee Chris Paget alerted law enforcement after unsuccessfully trying to withdraw money from an ATM machine in the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino and finding that his account had been debited.

"There were two incidents," attendee Dave Marcus, directory of security research at security vendor McAfee, told TechNewsWorld.

The Las Vegas Police Department did not respond to requests for comment by press time.

Yes, the scammers failed miserably. But hey, if they had actually made a fake ATM able to fool the Defcon and Black Hat attendees, then I'd be worried. Methinks somebody was testing it as a matter of personal pride.