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Fraudsters use Tube machines to clone bank cards
Katharine Barney, Evening Standard14.11.07
Tube commuters are having their bank cards cloned in a massive new wave of attacks by identity thieves.
Fraudsters are targeting Oyster card and ticket machines in London Underground stations after a police crackdown on similar attacks at cashpoints.
Gangs of thieves have fitted more than 50 so-called "skimming" devices which copy the user's card details and pin number as they buy Tube tickets or top up their Oyster cards.
They are understood to have switched to Underground ticket machines after successful campaigns to highlight the problem of skimming machines at cashpoints.
So far, 58 machines across the network have been targeted and 27 skimming devices have been discovered - with the Piccadilly and District lines particularly affected.
Latest figures show card cloning has leapt in the first half of this year, costing banks million of pounds in stolen money.
British Transport Police have now sent a series of emails to London Underground staff warning them to be alert to any suspicious behaviour, while Transport for London has also launched an investigation.
A recent email sent to London Underground staff from a duty station manager at Gloucester Road said: "Please be aware of the need to remain vigilant around your POMs (Passenger Operated Machines). The two-part device fits exactly over the existing one, with the camera stuck above with a small hole in the plate (the mobile phone part)."
The email goes on to warn staff not to try tackling possible fraudsters on their own.
It said: "The BTP have asked you to call them if you notice anything suspicious. DO NOT approach any individuals standing in the location."
One staff member who has been warned about the threat of fraud to customers said the stations had been visited by BTP officers who had said that every station on the western District line had been attacked.
He also said the problem was affecting larger multi-fare machines, which take notes and bank cards, as well as "queue buster" machines which accept cards only.
He said: "It's not a problem that London Underground want to advertise as they're trying to get rid of ticket offices, but they seem to be the only place to top up your Oyster card or buy a season ticket safely.
Two people have been arrested after they were caught using a skimming device on the Piccadilly line.
Police identified their address and a "factory" was raided last month, where police found skimming machines and card reading equipment.
BTP Superintendent Paul Shrubsole said: "Our specialist credit card fraud investigation team is working closely with London Underground staff to remove these devices and find the offenders benefiting from them.
"Because the fraudsters move the devices between stations and lines to avoid being detected we make maximum use of CCTV footage. The images go to other law enforcement agencies and the keypad devices are analysed for fingerprints and DNA.
"We're also working on machine design features preventing the attachment of skimming devices."
TfL said it was investigating the incidents in a bid to stamp out the attacks. A spokesman said: "The devices are quite sophisticated but we
need to look at the figures in context. There have been 58 attacks but we take payments of £40million a year.
"Card users should look carefully at the machines, be alert to anyone acting suspiciously and report anything unusual to staff."
Reader views (7)
Of course the idea of auto top-up is nice until your automatically-topping-up card gets stolen - quite a bit less secure than your bank card was. The funniest of all was that all-in-one-bank-and-oyster-and-credit-card, which I am sure any mophead could swipe and use at TK Maxx without even attempting to mimic the signature on the back. Ticket to ride!
I am not sure if the oyster card or the bank card is the sillier bit, but the thing that sets this story apart from 19th-century London, when thefts were just as devious as they are today, is the article's mention of "DNA" being used by inspectors to trace suspects - a claim I am skeptical of.
- Yace Yogenstein, London, UK
This is entirely the fault of the banks. They are only interested in making money, and not in protecting customers and their security. It's another example of the way the banks are gouging their customers, in this case by assisting thieves. And of course it is the public (in the form here of London Transport) that is picking up the bill. It's time all the banks were made fully accountable, and that the obscenely high salaries of the people running them were taxed to the hilt.
- Christopher Fowler, London, UK
The banks can put a stop to this. At present they show little interest in taking any action and react in an offhand manner when you try to report fraudulent activity.
- Patrick Griffin, Dalston
Just to let you people know that Tfl plan to shut down most ticket offices and have machines only which accept cards.
- Mike, London, UK
This Oyster card is silly and should never have been introduced at a huge cost to the London council taxpayer. You should be able to pay without Oyster card at the same price but Red Ken made the prices extremily different...
- Jacqueline, Hampstead, London
I've just discovered auto top-up for my pay as you go Oyster card, and I love it. You set it up online, so there's no need to go near a ticket machine or ticket office. Now, if they could just fix the gates and readers so they take the right amount off the cards (or give us a freephone number to call for refunds)...
- Freya, London
I'm a great believer in using cash to top up my Oyster card personally, as there is no question of my bank details being compromised.
Maybe stations ought to ban the silly Maestro adverts telling us "Cash stinks" - incidentally one financial institution wanted £50 a year for the privilege of me having a 'cashless' shopping card through which I would also give it regular interest free loans!
- Brian, London
