Travel Alert — Bluetooth ATM Skimmers

While many of us are planning for the upcoming snowbird season, others are planning to take advantage of our need for cash while travelling.

If you use ATM machines, here’s yet another scam designed to empty your back account.

Brian Krebs — the guru on cybercrime — recently spent 4 days in several resort areas of Mexico researching one of the latest ways to relieve you of your money.

I spent four days last week in Mexico, tracking the damage wrought by an organized crime ring that is bribing ATM technicians to place Bluetooth skimmers inside of cash machines in and around the tourist areas of Cancun. Today’s piece chronicles the work of this gang in coastal regions farther south, following a trail of hacked ATMs from Playa Del Camen down to the ancient Mayan ruins in Tulum.

In front of hacked ATM in Playa del Carmen

As I noted in yesterday’s story, the skimmers that this gang is placing in hacked ATMs consist of two Bluetooth components: One connected to the card reader inside each machine, and another attached to the PIN pad. Both components beacon out a Bluetooth signal called “Free2Move.” The thieves can retrieve the purloined card and PIN data just by strolling up to the hacked ATM with a smartphone, entering a secret passcode, and downloading all of the collected information.

You can read the rest of this article on his blog.

Take a read through the comments below his article and you’ll find a partial list of the compromised ATMs that Brian found.

A word to the wise: Don’t think that because you’re not travelling to Mexico that your money is safe. Successful techniques like bluetooth skimming are bound to show up in other areas soon, if not already.

Snowbirds Currency Exchange — Is it for you?

Are you a member of the Canadian Snowbird Association?  If you’re not, now might be a good time to check out all the programs and benefits they offer Canadian Snowbirds — like their Currency Exchange Program.

Today the U.S. dollar is trading above $1.32 Canadian dollars (or 0.7575 CAD/USD). (From the Bank of Canada.)

That’s approximately 20% more than the exchange rate we experienced last year around this time:  $1.09 (or 0.9174).

What does this mean for you?
Everything that you will purchase in the U.S. could be 20% more expensive this year, over last year, based on the USD/CAD exchange rate alone. **

We recommend that our members consider enrolling in the Snowbird Currency Exchange (SCE) Program. 

The program offers preferred exchange rates and minimal to no-transfer fees, depending on your CSA membership type.

If you compare the rates over the last year, you’ll notice the SCE rates have been consistently over 200 basis points better than the average of the competition — 3 leading Canadian financial institutions.

Savings example:
If you had transferred $2,000 last month, you have saved approximately $40 on the exchange rate alone PLUS all the savings on the different types of transfer fees.

SCE Fees:

• CSA Members — $2 per transfer
• Non-CSA Members — $5 per transfer
• Lifetime Members — Free

When compared to other methods of exchanging and transferring funds to the U.S., we believe that the SCE Program offers the best solution and value to our members.

In addition to excessive exchange rates and transfer fees charged by the competition, some banks in the U.S. will charge an international transfer-in fee, typically a $15 charge.

Transfers received from the SCE Program WILL NOT be charged international transfer-in fees — it’s that good!

There’s still time to enrol in the SCE Program before the October 1st transfer.

To enrol, please contact our office toll-free at:  1-800-265-3200, or visit www.Snowbirds.org to download a SCE Enrolment Form.  

Sincerely,

Bob Slack
President
The Canadian Snowbird Association
The Voice of Travelling Canadians

** Please note:
This email and information contained herein is not a guarantee, prediction or an estimate of future exchange rates or the performance of the Snowbird Currency Exchange Program. The purpose of this email is to compare approximate current USD/CAD exchange rates to the exchange rates experienced around this same time last year

September 2015 Lunch

The September lunch saw a good crowd gather at Nick’s Steak House in Calgary.

Gerry and I haven’t been to an event in awhile — it was fun to see so many familiar faces and to meet some of the new folks.

Our lunch hosts, Fay & John, also organized a tour of Ronald McDonald House after the lunch.

“Seventeen people attended the tour and it was really interesting,” said Fay. “There are 23 suites — each with at least 1 queen bed and an attached bathroom. There is a waiting list all the time.

“The cost per room for the residents is $12.00 per night. The cost to keep the room open for Ronald McDonald House is close to $200.00 per night, so they appreciate all the help they get.

“Some families have stayed for a year or more. Various groups come in each evening to make a meal for all the families, with leftovers providing the lunch the next day. Breakfast is made by the residents, with food that has been donated.

“There is a play room for young kids, an arcade for teens, and an exercise room for the adults. We were told the furniture is large so parents and kids can cuddle. There is lots to do when the children feel well enough — books, movies, games and a kitchen to bake in.

“We turned in our pull tabs and learned that they are sold and the money is used for whatever is needed in the home,” said Fay. “Thank you to all who help with collecting them.  We turned in over 65 pounds.”

The next lunch is October 14 in Okotoks. Hope you can make it!