Most ATM skimmers are comprised of parts designed to mimic and to fit on top of existing cash machine components. But sometimes, skimmer thieves find success by swapping out ATM parts with compromised look-alikes. Last week, the Palm Beach Sun Sentinel published a story about crooks in Boynton Beach, Florida, who have been cutting the bottom of ATM card readers to remove the microchip inside and replace it with their own battery-operated card reader. Use only machines in public, well-lit areas, and avoid ATMs in secluded spots.”]
Source: https://krebsonsecurity.com/2011/04/atm-skimmers-hacking-the-cash-machine/