3D printers scam $400,000 from bank customers

Who would have thought that 3D printer technology could actually be used for a more nefarious purpose compared to churning out cute looking sculptures that you always had swimming around in your head but never had the means to get around creating it in real life? Well, an organized crime gang used such a printer to steal some $400,000 from bank customers through the use of churning out perfect replicas of ATM card skimmers.

That amount of dough is certainly enough for them to recoup their initial ‘investment’ which could cost up to twenty grand, where it will replicate any ATM’s credit card slot. The card skimmer will steal data stored on a card’s magnetic stripe, not to mention sporting a pinhole camera that is installed near the PIN pad. These components that fit so well will most of the time go undetected by unsuspecting victims, where all recorded bank customer data were sent to a laptop nearby wirelessly.

Well, not to worry now that the long arm of the law has finally caught up with the perpetrators thanks to the US Secret Service, and they will soon be brought to justice. Just be aware that crime and theft are getting more and more sophisticated these days, so be extra vigilant the next time you head off to an ATM!

Edwin Kee
Categories: Gadgets
Tags: 3d printer, 3D Printing, theft