A woman operating a bank ATM in Portugal while making a phone call. ATM alert or mouse trap? The truth behind the viral ‘cursor warning’ that’s got Facebook in a flap.
Credit: beauty-box, Shutterstock
A viral video is making the rounds on Facebook – but is your cash really at risk, or is it just scaremongering?
Thousands of social media users have been warned not to insert their credit or debit cards into cash machines displaying a suspicious little detail: a cursor. Yes, you read that right – a standard desktop-style cursor on the ATM screen has sparked a flurry of fears about hacking and card skimming.
The short Facebook video shows a supposedly compromised ATM screen. ‘Once again, the hospital’s cash machine appears to have been hacked,’ the narrator claims. ‘Here’s the little mouse cursor. Watch how it moves. When you see this cursor, don’t put your card in – if you do, and you enter your PIN, they’ll get your details and could take money.’
Sounds alarming, right? But don’t bin your bank card just yet.
What’s really going on?
The Portuguese fact-checking news outlet Polígrafo picked up on the buzz and went straight to the source – SIBS, the company that manages Portugal’s Multibanco and ATM Express networks. And according to them, the cursor isn’t a sign of cybercrime – it’s just… a cursor.
“The presence of a cursor on the screen, as shown in the video, does not affect the integrity of the machines,” SIBS clarified. “They can be used with complete safety.”
In fact, SIBS was quick to underline that Multibanco machines are monitored 24/7 with systems designed to detect dodgy activity and nip potential fraud in the bud.
So why the fuss? Experts believe the cursor may appear during software updates or maintenance – perfectly normal for a machine that’s essentially a mini-computer.
Paranoia or precaution?
Let’s be clear: ATM fraud does exist, and spotting something unusual is always worth a second look. Skimming devices and fake PIN pads are still a real threat, so a healthy dose of scepticism at the cashpoint is no bad thing.
But a rogue pointer dancing across the screen? It might just be your local machine stretching its digital legs – not a hacker casing your wallet.
Still unsure? Use indoor ATMs when possible, cover your PIN, and give anything suspicious a wide berth. Better safe than skint.
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