Residents told to guard against ATM hacking

BY A STAFF WRITER

CHICAGO (IL) — The Illinois attorney general is warning residents about hackers gaining unauthorized access to bank accounts and illegally withdrawing money from ATMs.

Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan says the warning follows a report by federal banking regulators that there has been an increase in the number of illegal withdrawals from banks.

Authorities say criminals are engaged in sophisticated scams that involve obtaining bank employee login information. They then create fraudulent ATM cards and delete or alter systems that alert banks to unusual ATM activity.
Madigan’s office says residents should monitor bank and credit card accounts daily and report any unauthorized charges or other activity.

Here are more tips offered by Madigan:

– Set up an alert on your account to receive notification when your credit or debit card is used over and above a certain dollar figure. Many banks offer this feature as a “transaction alert.”

– Beware of callers who claim to be with your card issuing bank. These calls may be a scam. You should contact your bank first at the toll-free number on the back of your card before disclosing any personal information.