Joy Adalia
Netizen FJ Castle was using a BPI ATM behind FullyBooked near the W-Building at the Bonifacio Global City when he noticed that something was not right with the machine.
He checked the machine and discovered that there was a fake keypad placed on top of the original. What makes this quite alarming is that the dummy keypad was embedded with microchips which could record data from the machine users.
This discovery led him to further check the machine for tampering. He said he also found an apparatus right on the area where you insert your card. This apparatus also had a microchip.
Both discoveries lead FJ Castle to believe that the ATM is being used by crooks to skim data from unsuspecting customers.
Because there was an apparatus in the card slot, the crooks would be able to copy data from the ATM card which they could duplicate. This fake ATM would have been useless without the user’s PIN but because the criminals also placed the dummy keypad on the original, they would have been able to record the user’s PIN which they could then use to withdraw money from the account.
WARNING!
According to FJ Castle, he only discovered the tampered ATM on Dec. 2, 2014, just around 9:30 PM. He has no idea when the crooks had installed the fake devices.
Banks would eventually refund the money you can prove to have been stolen by someone but it could take weeks for them to do that – imagine the hassle it would be for you to repeatedly go to the bank to report the incident and to process the refund.
In line with this, he urges everyone who has ever used the BPI ATM at that location to immediately change their PINs to prevent the crooks from stealing their money.
Also, it would be a good idea to regularly check your account for possible withdrawals that you did not make so you can report the theft via ATM card skimming to your bank.
With the Christmas holiday season fast approaching and workers receiving extra bonuses and 13th month pays, crooks are also working doubly hard to steal your hard-earned money. Do not be a victim. Just like FJ Castle, always be on the lookout for possible tampering in the ATM you are using plus make sure to regularly change your PIN so that the crooks could not use your data.
I wonder what did ms/mr fj castle did with the gadget/instrument he found?… did he discard the thing and turned it over to the authorities?…
coz if that remained connected to the ATM, then it’ll collect more info from cards of unsuspectbing victims… tsk tsk tsk
Nobody’s THAT stupid.
ER Claudio… meron….. si Sunny May
Devices were discovered at around 9:30 PM on December 2, 2014. Article is stamped at December 2, 2014 at 10:26 pm. Pictures uploaded and posted in a website in less than 1 hour.
That was fast.
Uploading pictures in less than an hour is no different than uploading a photo in your fb. Could even take less than 5 minutes. Writing this article also takes little time. She could’ve been idling in a cafe nearby.
…and your point is? That you can calculate time? It’s a good thing this has been posted immediately which serves as a good warning to a lot of people.
Your point exactly is?
Narrow minded m*f*er!
with today’s technology, a lot of things could be done in a few minutes. you’re surprised that this useful warning could be posted in an hour? wow, where the hell are you from?the jungles of the amazon???
Funny how I got a lot of negative comments for what I posted. I merely stated that the news was posted fast– and that was my point. It was fast unlike the time when you had to read about it the day after. And this, yes, benefits all.
@Daveid_bunt. Maybe I am… But If ever I was, I’m not as narrow minded a m*f*er as you are on any normal day of the week. You’re the worst since you don’t really exert any effort to be a narrow minded m*f*er. You assume too much and your logic defies all logic (technically making you illogical) and that makes you the quintessential example of one really f*ck*d up m*f*er. There’s a thing called a dictionary if you can read.
Really?
Does BPI inspect their machines regularly? Do these machines have built in mini camera that alerts the bank’s IT department? What did BPI say about this?
Non-functioning. Full time freelancer. Thedailypedia got some of my precious minutes. Damn it!
I’m curious that I can’t see a chip or button type battery on the keypad backside. Isn’t that just the original keypad for that model and not a skimming device? Will anyone go to the extent of fabricating an exact same keypad with identical colors and labels and fits exactly in place without bulging or protruding awkwardly on the ATM machine? Only one with access to and spare parts for that machine can build one.
Is this a real incident?
not sure if trolling or just stupid….
I see your point here. In my earlier comment, I noted the time it took to discover and post it on the web. I agree that on the positive side it can help warn the public– but on the other hand, is the less than one hour window enough time to actually validate, authenticate the facts and publish it on the web? On a conspiracy theory aspect, it can be viewed as too fast” as if someone was waiting for it to happen and post it.
I am also wondering, like Sunny May. Did he report it to the proper authorities or even to the security guard? Good to know that we are being warned but I am a bit wary if there is no proper reporting.
Scammers are the blood cells of this country.
For all the people who were questioning this article “fuck you all!”. This article provides us protection an a warning, just be thankfull assholes!.
My ATM card from bank of commerce was wiped out. I usually use the Greenbelt or Fort ATM machines. I reported this incident to bank of commerce, they made me surrender my card and after 6 months of deliberation, all inquires only coming from my end they send me letter saying it is no fault of thier own. And they will not refund
Should have called BPI hotline instead
Actually, me and my girlfriend are victims ourselves last November 27, 2014. Here how the story goes….
I was with my girlfriend and rode a taxi to a mall. We only have 1000 and 500 bills in our wallet. The taxi driver has no change for our bills. So I went out the taxi cab and found a BPI ATM machine and withdrawn Php200. We had 12k+ in that ATM card used to withdraw the money, so approximately there was then around 11.8k. On the next day, we were planning to go out on a date and used the same ATM card to withdraw, we then found out that we were only left with around 30+ pesos in that ATM card.
After the incident, we went online to check the transactions. We found 2 transactions made after our Php200 withdrawal that day. The thief withdrawn 10k at first then withdrawn another 1.8k after. The thief totally broke us down to 30+ pesos. So we went to our bank(I won’t disclose the name for the privacy/safety of the bank), asked for dispute and they told us that this process will take 50-80 effin days, we were told that this is a bank to bank investigation which I could not get the thought to why will it take 50-80 days. Well, our November ended badly and we started the same in our December because of this ATM skimming that broke us down.
We actually have 2 ATM’s but one is for our bills and payments and the other is for other stuffs like dating, grocery and etc. But the incident is still unforgettable. We are still kind of broke because of this.
I’m sorry to hear that. Its quite alarming that banks won’t refund. Banks should offer protection in this kind of matter.
That’s weird, how did you manage to withdraw P200 on a BPI ATM, when in fact the minimum withdrawal on all BPI machines are P500? Funny thing though, you mention the name of the ATM but you don’t want to disclose the name of your bank.
Are you just making up stories for people to sympatize you or you just wanted to ruin BPI’s reputation even further?
Grow up man!
BPI Family has a 200 minimum limit withdrawal. Get your facts straight before commenting your wrong notion.
hold BPI and any atm belonging to any other bank accountable for the well being of their machines.
they are responsible and should practice the protection of our (their) money.
as for FJ Castle, truly curious as to what he did with these apparatus following his discovery of them. he didn’t just leave it there no different than when he discovered it, i hope… smf. he should turn them over to bpi, with photos taken. though smashing the keyboard on the concrete would be a lot more satisfying.
Something weird about both keypads. The so-called fake keypad has the number 1 in the middle whereas the rest of the numbers start on the left side of the key. The original keypad has the number 1 bearing the letters QZ in it. Could these 2 keypads be fake altogether?
BPI credit cards has been compromised as well, not just their ATMS. BPI always has these kind of problems and they can’t protect the people. To think, they get their business by supposedly earning interest by letting other people borrow the money we deposit to them. BUT, they don’t care if people are often victims of these skimming and credit card theft! Plus, they all put the hassle on us, the victims, by the long process. BPI, do something! As for me, I’m closing all my BPI accounts!
Banks should start putting cctvs around if not inside their atm booths.
chek this out and be careful in philippines
There are really no protection from this situation. I lost 20k of my hard earned money within 4min of time. That was 6yrs ago bank never cared. So i just gave up. Bec they will just give u the run around. I hope they will come up with something to make thier atms much safer. I would not mind paying addtional fee for that security. I have something in mind. But i do not now if its possible.
true or not. i bet the skeptics here would not even dare use that ATM. all bark with no bite. LOL. fools.
may be someone from the BPI was the culprit. there are supposedly cameras. if there are people tampering with the atm machine , they would have noticed it already. but if it was from a collaboration from within the BPI, then I guess they would have tampered first the camera so as to “NOT” get caught, before tinkering with the said atm machine. make sense right?
I don’t think they check the security cameras regularly/daily not unless someone will complain.