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Hi-Tech Criminals Target Self-Checkout Systems In The UK

Posted on: Thursday, 28 August 2008, 17:20 CDT

Hackers claim to be focusing on self-checkout systems in the UK to use stolen credit and debit card information given to them by an American gang who tapped phone lines between cash machines and banks.

Fake credit cards with stolen critical information will be used to buy goods or retrieve cash from cardholders’ accounts.

The supermarkets targeted said there was little chance the fraudsters would make significant gains with their plan.

The American crew plans to create fake cards with card information copied onto the magnetic strips for use in stores across the UK.

The BBC News agency discovered an online forum in which hi-tech thieves were asking about the best methods to strip money from US accounts.

In the forum they are asking for information about Asda and Tesco stores in which it is possible to use self-service systems that mules could visit with the fake cards to get at the cash.

Over the period of a month from mid-August the ringleader claims he will have details from 2300 cards to handle.

In the forum he declares: "Its (sic) shopping spree guys help me out and I will take care of you."

BBC gave the information to the Dedicated Cheque and Plastic Crime Unit for further investigation.

Andrew Moloney, security evangelist at RSA, said the gang were involved in "classic" card fraud by cloning details on to magnetic stripes.

“We've seen a shift from card-present fraud to card-not-present to fraud abroad," he said.

"The internet is the global marketplace," he said. "It's not difficult to take compromised cards from one country and exploit them in another. It's a simple and routine procedure for these guys these days."

The gang believes using self-checkout systems would be the best way to strip American accounts of their funds because they can avoid run-ins with store staff.

"They do not normally cash out in the same country," said Jacques Erasmus, from security firm Prevx, "just because it makes the law enforcement job that much harder."

He said many criminal gangs even offer their fraudulent services via the web.

"They will do it for you in India and China," he said.

Erasmus said the hi-tech criminals could earn £5-8000 per day with their scam. Earnings would be split between the mules who actually carry out the transactions, those organizing the mules and the hi-tech thieves who stole the original card numbers.

Source: redOrbit Staff & Wire Reports

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