ATMs Compromised, $45M Taken

An anonymous reader sends this news from the Associated Press: "A worldwide gang of criminals stole a total of $45 million in a matter of hours by hacking their way into a database of prepaid debit cards and then draining cash machines around the globe, federal prosecutors said Thursday. ... Here’s how it worked: Hackers got into bank databases, eliminated withdrawal limits on prepaid-debit cards and created access codes. Others loaded that data onto any plastic card with a magnetic stripe — an old hotel key card or an expired credit card worked fine as long as it carried the account data and correct access codes."

Comments

Afterwards....

[TheCRAIGGERS]

And then they all hoped into their Mini Coopers and drove off into the sunset, leaving a stream of bills fluttering in the wind.

Re:I wonder how much was skimmed by the bag men

[Joce640k]

Hey, if some guy around the world stole for me and skimmed a little off the top, would I care too much if I received $30,000,000 instead of the $35,000,000 I was thinking I would receive?

Don't give up your day job and go into drug dealing, it won't work out for you.

Re:I wonder how much was skimmed by the bag men

[slashdyke]

Not to worry. I was not planning to.

Re:Why wouldn't they work?

[Frankie70]

I mean it's interesting that it worked, but why is that of note?

If it's not of note, then why is it interesting?

Re:Why wouldn't they work?

[Anonymous Coward]

Welcome to Slashdot: Where everything's made up, and the mod points don't matter.

Re:Not ATMs, the debit card system

[Anonymous Coward]

So to clarify, the ATM's had the problem?