The video is a consumer‑protection segment featuring hosts Gretchen and Steve, ATM user Sean Seibel, and identity‑theft expert Robert Siciliano. It explains how criminals install hidden skimming devices on ATMs—false card‑slot overlays attached with double‑sided tape and tiny pinhole cameras that capture PINs. Sean demonstrates spotting a loose, matching‑color overlay and a mirror‑type camera, then removing them and reporting to the branch manager. Robert emphasizes that ATM skimming is a billion‑dollar, worldwide problem affecting both bank and convenience‑store machines. The segment also covers check‑washing scams, where thieves strip ink from mailed checks and rewrite them, and recommends using a Uni‑ball pen to prevent alteration. Practical advice includes inspecting ATMs for wiggle‑room, tape, or unusual parts, shaking the machine, and walking away if anything seems off, as well as preferring bank ATMs over those in stores. The tone is conversational and instructional, aiming to raise awareness and empower viewers with concrete detection steps.
Chapters
Alright, you know ATM machines. You go to them probably every day. They're fast, convenient, but beware, crooks are coming up with new ways to steal your personal information and take your cash. I'll show you exactly how they're doing it and how to keep it from happening to you. Steve's on the case.
That's Maria Donovan. Turn around.
Wait.
Welcome back everyone. High-tech thieves taking your money from your bank account using your ATM cards. Police are on the lookout for these men wanted for stealing more than half $500,000 from victims in the New York area. They placed a device called a skimmer on an ATM at this bank and installed a tiny overhead camera to record customers' PIN numbers. Here's a side-by-side of two ATMs, one with a skimmer and one without. The gadget is disguised as part of the ATM and is barely noticeable to the untrained eye. And they come in all shapes. This is another type of skimmer right here. So how do you prevent this from happening to you. Let's go out to Steve, who's going to show us exactly how this works and how to avoid it.
That's right. Alright, thanks very much, Gretch. This is Sean Seibel. Sean, you went to an ATM and you thought there was something suspicious. What happened?
Yes, I went to an ATM and I dipped my card in the card slot and there was a little bit of resistance. I realized that there was a false front on the card slot.
So it wasn't the same color?
No, it was actually the identical color. It was matching. It was undetectable by the eye except I realized that there was two pieces. I realized that there was You know, a public device usually doesn't—
It was loose!
It was loose. It was a little loose. And I just peeled off the front. It was attached by double-sided masking tape.
Oh, that's crazy. And right up there above the keypad was—
There was a false mirror that had a pinhole camera inside of it looking down at the pinpad and recording everybody's pinpad activity.
That is diabolical. So what did you do? You realized that was loose.
I removed both items. I turned them into the branch manager. The branch manager didn't know what they were. I explained to them what I thought they were from what I read.
You showed them to the branch manager? Does she use her now?
Well, now she does.
I guess so. Alright, glad you got it. This is Robert Siciliano. He is the CEO of IDTheftSecurity.com, right?
Yes.
Alright, now you got the machine here. Shawn was great that he knew what he was doing there.
Yeah.
But this goes on how often?
Well, it's a billion-dollar problem, and it's happening all day, every day, and scammers throughout the world are taking full advantage of the flaws in the system.
Okay, so Shawn said that the skimmer was the same color, but it was a little loose and stuck on there with double-sided tape.
Right.
Sometimes it's as obvious as that.
Right. Well, this right here could be covered up and they double-side stick a device like this. You slide your card through and like Sean said, they have the camera right here taking a picture of your PIN code and next thing you know, you slide your camera— you slide your card, they take a picture of your PIN code and they have your information.
Right.
There's one thing I— ever since these stories started coming out a year or two ago, I stopped using the little ones in the grocery store and only did the ones at the banks.
Right.
Now this is the one in our 20th Century Fox building, but are the The ones at the bank's safe?
Well, in his situation, it was actually at the bank branch and they didn't know what was going on. So whether you are at the bank, you are at a convenience store or gas station, you have to pay close attention and look for red flags. Look for two-sided tape. Look for something that might wiggle, that you can pull it right off.
So it's okay to shake it, you'll still get your money out if it's real?
Exactly. And if something doesn't look right, something doesn't seem right, then just walk away.
Because that's exactly what Sean did. Did they wind up giving you— did they wind up catching the guy?
They never told me.
That is crazy. Okay, so you got high-tech style stuff like that, but low-tech stuff as well because the economy is tough and there are a lot of bad guys out there.
Yeah, we're in a recession right now and old-fashioned scams are back. Check fraud is a billion-dollar problem. Check washing is a huge problem. Pick up a Uni-ball pen at uniball.com to prevent check washing.
What's check washing?
Check washing is when they go through your mailbox, they take your checks out, they actually wash off the—
A cancelled check.
Exactly. Or actually a pay-to check, they wash out the pay-to information, they put— their own information in there, their own name, and they change the amount and they cash the check to themselves.
You have just scared the living daylights out of a lot of people. So use a Uni-ball pen, you say?
Exactly.
All right, interesting stuff. Robert, thank you very much. Sean, thank you. Way to go. They should give you some sort of a reward or something. All right, Brian and Gretchen, I'm at the cash machine. How much do you need? Uh, Steve, not for— do we get $3? We charge $3 for each transaction there?
That's called skimming too.
It's free.
Yeah.
Oh no, it's $1.50.
It's $1.50.
Maybe you could pick up a couple coffee on the way back in. Right. Oh.
