Crims stick iPod spy camera to ATM to spy on PINs

OLICE HAVE RECOVERED a spy camera fashioned from an old iPod, designed to record PINs as they were being entered into an ATM in Manchester.The warning about the iPod nano, which had been fitted with a false front and duct tape, was tweeted by Greater Manchester Police in the Gatley area of Stockport.Police advice is to "be vigilant". Most such devices tend to be used only for short periods, and prime time to miss them is if you need to top up your kebab fund after a few beers.The 5th-generation nano was unique for being the only one with a video-only camera aboard, albeit at VGA resolution, and the last to feature the iconic wheel control instead of a touchscreen.It is not known whether anyone fell for the scam on this occasion. The device, which the police described as "not the best attempt we have seen", is yet another example of the vulnerabilities of ATMs across the world.In October, we reported on malware named Tyupkin which allowed thieves to swipe sums of money at a specific time, using a secret code created by an algorithm authenticating the thief.But our favourite ATM hack of all remains the Canadian teenagers who successfully hacked into the machine at their local convenience storebecause they downloaded and read the instruction manual.Fortunately, on this occasion their intentions were benign and, after reporting the incident to the local bank, they were rewarded by the bank manager with a note excusing them for being late back to class