ATM reprogrammed to give out 4 times more money

Posted to: Crime
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By Duane Bourne
The Virginian-Pilot

VIRGINIA BEACH - Police are looking for a man who broke the bank - literally.

Last month, a man reprogrammed an automated teller machine at a gas station on Lynnhaven Parkway to spit out four times as much money as it should.

He then made off with an undisclosed amount of cash.

No one noticed until nine days later, when a customer told the clerk at a Crown gas station that the machine was disbursing more money than it should. Police are now investigating the incident as fraud.

Police spokeswoman Rene Ball said the first withdrawal occurred at 6:17 p.m. Aug. 19. Surveillance footage documented a man about 5-foot-8 with a thin build walking into the gas station on the 2400 block of Lynnhaven Parkway and swiping an ATM card.

The man then punched a series of numbers on the machine's keypad, breaking the security code. The ATM was programmed to disburse $20 bills. The man reprogrammed the machine so it recorded each $20 bill as a $5 debit to his account.

The suspect returned to the gas station a short time later and took more money, but authorities did not say how much. Because the account was pre-paid and the card could be purchased at several places, police are not sure who is behind the theft.

During the crime, the man wore a white T-shirt with writing on the back and a red baseball cap. Police have asked anyone with information to contact Crime Solvers at (888 ) LOCK-U-UP.

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just one crook stealing from another

Submitted by williamg58596 on Fri, 09/22/2006 at 4:54 am.

as previously stated, the consumer will make up the difference. not the business owner. you would have to be either desperate or stupid to steal from an atm with cameras around. sounds like a brinks man with a drug habit to me. an interesting case to be sure.

simple

Submitted by bradt74418 on Thu, 09/21/2006 at 10:27 pm.

Believe it or not this can be done easily. If you get ahold of a manual for the ATM machine there are default administrator interface passwords and safe codes listed very plainly. If there is a lazy installation this could be abused by anyone with the manual.

ATM thief or insider?

Submitted by keithr47431 on Thu, 09/21/2006 at 8:59 am.

I sell prepaid cards that can be used at ATM's, as well as stocking my own cash in 1 ATM out of 3 that I placed. Just the thought of knowing that a 'crook or thief' could punch codes and reprogram an ATM made me look for more information. I can not reprogram an ATM without opening the unit, and switching to a service mode. I do not think this fraud was part of the armored car guys? With prepaid Vsia/MC one can be used at ATMs. Merchants can easily be traced to find out who sold the prepaid card, because my merchants are held accountable for every prepaid Visa/MC card they have in stock. This story just does not sound right. Thief takes money, comes back, and 9 days later customer says, "hey the ATM is giving too much money." Why would the thief not take out money every 24 hours? How come the police can not trace the card? Who has codes to change the amount charged to an account? We can change the dispensing amounts at ATM location, but can't change amount deducted from checking!

nice try

Submitted by jerryl66741 on Sun, 09/17/2006 at 11:33 am.

you big dummy investigators know the only people with these codes work for armored car services !!!maybe not today or tomorrow but you will be caught.

design flaw

Submitted by mattj81051 (not verified) on Fri, 09/15/2006 at 6:40 am.

It seems like if you made a machine that gives money to people, you would also make it secure.

ATM Machine

Submitted by joyced78750 on Thu, 09/14/2006 at 1:56 pm.

People, where is your conscious? Two wrongs don't make a right. It's good to know there are still a few honest souls in VB.

What do you think will happen to him?

Submitted by Robert A on Wed, 09/13/2006 at 8:35 pm.

I hope the paper stays on top of this story. This guy is a criminal, and he should go to jail, but he should be made to pay the money back too. The problem is that career criminals get a slap on the wrist, and CEOs who embezel millions die without spending a day in jail, but this poor slob will get hammered.

Crook

Submitted by Douglas_G on Wed, 09/13/2006 at 12:52 pm.

Too bad some people like believe everything should be free.. Do you work for free? Why should someone spend 40-60 thousand dollars, plus the money it costs to maintain, and refill these machines for your benefit. If you bank with that financial institution, then yeah, if not too bad. BTW, the only people he stole from was US, the consumer? do you really think the owner of that ATM doesn't have insurance, or isn't going to make it up in charges and other fees, that someone will have to pay, raising the money they have to make, so increasing what they charge for their goods and services? Jeesh.. Learn math and economics.