In Portugal, Multibanco is part of the daily lives of millions of people. Withdrawing money, paying for services or making transfers are routine gestures. Still, this frequent use does not eliminate a risk that continues to exist: the possibility that some ATMs are being used for fraudulent purposes.
According to , authorities have been warning about scams that go unnoticed by most users and that can result in the theft of bank details. In many cases, everything depends on an almost imperceptible physical detail on the machine itself.
How the most well-known schemes work
One of the most common techniques is called skimming. This method is based on the insertion of false devices into the card slot or onto the ATM keypad. The objective is to copy the card data and obtain the PIN code, then allowing card cloning and illegal withdrawals.
For this purpose, false readers fitted to the card slot, superimposed keyboards that record each key pressed and even disguised micro-cameras, strategically placed to capture the secret code entered by the user, are used. As a rule, this equipment is installed for short periods, precisely to reduce the risk of detection.
The detail that can serve as a warning
Information released by security forces and banking entities indicates that the first sign of suspicion is often in the appearance of the teller himself. A card slot that moves, is loose, or has a different protrusion than normal may indicate the presence of a fake reader. The same happens when the keyboard appears taller, poorly aligned, or has an unusual texture.
There are also situations in which the card enters with more difficulty than normal, which may result from devices being placed inside the slot.
Methods increasingly difficult to detect
In recent years, criminal groups have resorted to more sophisticated techniques. Europol has warned about so-called deep insert skimmers, equipment placed inside the card slot and practically invisible from the outside. In these cases, there are no obvious changes in the appearance of the machine, with resistance when inserting the card being one of the few possible signs.
There are also devices with a wireless connection, capable of transmitting the collected data in real time to nearby accomplices, eliminating the need to return to the location to retrieve the equipment.
Situation in Portugal
Portuguese authorities have flagged occurrences in different areas of the country, including large urban centers and regions with greater tourist influx. In many episodes, victims only realize the problem days later, when they consult their bank statements and identify transactions that they do not recognize.
Although Portugal is not among the European countries with the highest incidence of this type of crime, existing records show that these practices continue to be active and associated with organized networks.
Financial impact and European context
European reports indicate that card and ATM-related fraud continues to cause significant losses every year. Even with the reduction in the use of cash, skimming and associated techniques maintain a relevant impact on the financial system.
In Portugal, Banco de Portugal recognizes the existence of losses associated with card fraud and highlights the importance of timely detection of unauthorized transactions.
Unstable card entries, non-standard keyboards or difficulties when inserting the card are details that easily go unnoticed.
However, they appear recurrently in alerts released by authorities. These signs do not, in and of themselves, confirm the existence of fraud, but they remain one of the main clues that a box may not be in normal working condition.
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