More and more variants of bank fraud are appearing all over the world. A new method has been detected in New Jersey, where a group of threat actors has compromised multiple ATMs, information security training specialists reported.
“We have received multiple reports related to a scam at ATMs, mainly attacking Santander Bank ATM machines. The criminals behind these attacks fraudulently withdraw money using fake debit cards; users are advised to exercise caution when using these ATMs,” a report from local authorities mentions.
Santander, in conjunction with the authorities, is investigating the incident. In addition, bank executives ask users to contact the Police Department if they believe they have been victims of fraud.
After detecting suspicious activity in some of its branches, Santander decided to temporarily close the affected machines, as mentioned by information security training specialists. The bank also said that some branches could be reinforced with additional security personnel or even closed temporarily.
“We will continue to work with law enforcement as this situation is investigated and we apologize for any inconvenience caused to our customers,” a statement from Santander mentions. The bank places special emphasis on the no clients’ accounts being compromised at any time, adding that their online operations are conducted normally.
So far, at least three incidents of fraudulent card withdrawals have been confirmed in New Jersey counties. Although there have so far been no arrests related to these incidents, the authorities are already monitoring the areas where the banks are attacked and analyzing possible future targets.
A spokesman for the Office of the New Jersey Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said the agency is aware of the situation, so in the coming days the investigation could be taken by federal authorities. Based in Spain, Santander started operations in the United States in 2013, information security training specialists mentioned. According to its official website, the bank already has more than 500 branches and 2,000 ATMs in the U.S., so the scope of an operating campaign is considerable.
He is a well-known expert in mobile security and malware analysis. He studied Computer Science at NYU and started working as a cyber security analyst in 2003. He is actively working as an anti-malware expert. He also worked for security companies like Kaspersky Lab. His everyday job includes researching about new malware and cyber security incidents. Also he has deep level of knowledge in mobile security and mobile vulnerabilities.
