ATM thieves find a new target

Automated teller machines continue to make good targets for thieves. But one could argue that the issue has generated enough awareness in the banking industry that it's become slightly more uncomfortable for the thieves to deploy their technology on ATMs.

But they have moved onto a new target, one that also poses problems for banks and credit card companies: gas pumps. One credit union has reported that 300 customers had money stolen due to information stolen at gas pumps. Card-swipe devices and cameras that steal personal information--similar to the ones deployed on ATMs--are increasingly being deployed on gas station pumps.

This has prompted some retailers to take action. Visa would like to migrate many pumps to a more robust encryption standard. One retailer tells the ReporterNews of Abilene, TX that it would cost him $1,500 a pump to upgrade. The issue gets wrapped up in the larger issue about fees and card companies, which is pretty heated at the moment. Bottom line is that I doubt the majority of pumps will feature higher-level encryption anytime soon.

For more:
- here's the ReporterNewsarticle
- here's the News4article

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