DefCon hacker cracks fake ATM scam

Criminals are targeting cash machines in an attempt to steal card details

An attendee at the DefCon security conference has uncovered an ATM scam targeting guests at a popular Las Vegas hotel.

According to a Forbes report, the man discovered a phoney machine located in the casino section of the Riviera Hotel, which was hosting the annual hacking and security research convention.

The fake machine was said to be operating as an unbranded ATM, and was spotted only when the attendee noticed abnormalities with the machine's LED lights and glass display.

On further inspection, the machine was found to be housing a PC which was believed to be logging card information and PINs for future fraud and identity theft. The bogus machine and its contents have been handed over to law enforcement.

The scam is part of a booming criminal industry around the procurement and trading of bank and credit card information. Cyber criminals have used tactics ranging from fake and compromised ATMs to phishing and key-logging tools to obtain card information in a practice known as 'carding'.

The stolen information is then sold online through IRC channels, or forums such as the infamous and now defunct Dark Market, and ultimately used for identity theft and fraud.