Skip to main content

Never forget security: Card-less eATM fraud leads to theft of $3,000

chase bank eatm fraud news smartphone banking app password 123rf 26463673 ml
tashka2000 / 123RF Stock Photo
Do you use Chase Bank’s eATM machines, the ones which operate using your smartphone as identification? There are reports gathering criminals may have figured out a way to circumvent security measures, and steal money from your account. While not widespread, the stories do involve large sums of money, and should serve as a reminder about the importance of good information security.

The most recent story to come to light actually happened in November last year, where $3,000 was fraudulently taken from a Chase bank account via an eATM and the Chase mobile banking app. In a letter to local news site cleveland.com, the Chase customer, on finding the money missing from his account, was informed his account had been “hacked” using these services. The customer was also locked out of his account, which Chase said was due to multiple attempts to access it with an Android smartphone, a device he didn’t use.

Chase’s eATM machines differ from a traditional ATM by not requiring a card. You can access them using codes provided in the Chase phone app, a two-step verification style method which many may already be familiar with from for their Google account, Twitter account, and many others. That sounds more secure than a simple card and PIN system, so how was the account compromised?

It’s not absolutely clear, but another case does suggest the eATM may make it easier for thieves already attacking an online banking account to get their hands on cash. In this report from January, a customer lost $2,900 through an eATM after the victim’s online banking details, and associated phone number, were all altered, which then facilitated the theft using a card-less ATM. The similarity in the amount stolen in each case here is due to the higher, $3,000 daily withdrawal limit offered by some Chase eATM machines. A larger case featuring card-less ATM fraud was recently cracked, and anecdotal evidence of other eATM fraud cases appears on Reddit.

Should you be worried about using these machines, or smartphones, for banking generally? No, not if you remember the basics of protecting your identity and accounts. Criminals will always try to find ways into our bank accounts. Card-less ATM machines are becoming more common, with Chase, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, and other international banks all introducing the system. Chase Bank has also made alterations to improve security.

There’s a danger, due to our growing familiarity and comfort in using smartphones to make transactions either online, in-app, or through a mobile payment system, that we will forget all the usual advice on security still applies. Strong passwords, avoiding public Wi-Fi, lowering withdrawal limits, adding two-factor authentication where possible, and opting to receive message and email alerts of account activity all help avoid becoming victims of this type of crime.

Andy Boxall
Senior Mobile Writer
Andy is a Senior Writer at Digital Trends, where he concentrates on mobile technology, a subject he has written about for…
How to master your equalizer settings for the perfect sound
An equalizer from eqMac.

While most people will simply flip on the radio or load up Spotify to listen to music, audiophiles like to dig a bit deeper and customize their experience. This often comes in the form of adjustments to the equalizer, which offers the freedom to tweak every aspect of the sound booming out of headphones or speakers. Even some streaming services now have built-in EQs, giving you more ways than ever to play with your music and find something that best fits your ears.

Tinkering with the equalizer can be daunting to newcomers, as there are tons of cryptic settings you can manipulate. And if you mess with the wrong one, your sound quality might take a nasty hit. Thankfully, learning the basics isn't too difficult.

Read more
How to change your iPhone’s notification sound in iOS 17
how to change iphone default notification sound ios 17 sounds screenshot

Apple made a change to the default notification sound when it launched iOS 17, replacing “Tri-tone” with “Rebound.”Users have been unable to switch back to the original sound or select a different one as the default, and not everyone is a fan of the new tune. As you'd imagine, that's left some folks rather annoyed.

Read more
5 things I want to see in the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra and S Pen stylus on its screen.

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is definitely one of the best smartphones on the market right now, no doubt about that. You get incredible performance with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip, plenty of RAM and storage, a whopping 200MP camera, two telephoto lenses for 3x and 5x optical zoom, S Pen integration, and more. It’s certainly an impressive package.

But it’s not perfect. In fact, some weaknesses could be improved in the next version, the Galaxy S25 Ultra. Here’s what I hope to see next year.
A new design
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (left) and Galaxy S23 Ultra Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Read more