What do you think this is....?

Lawson · #1 (**permalink**) 06-13-2008, 09:14 PM

Found this at my g/f's job. She is a pastry chef at a local upscale french restaurant. It was stuck to the side of the register (its magnetized).

I know what it is, but i'm testing the SR community...

HINT - She accepts credit cards over the phone...

CoffeeShark · #2 (**permalink**) 06-13-2008, 09:15 PM

i would guess a bug that retransmits conversations to someone else so they can steal CC numbers.

Tulkas · #3 (**permalink**) 06-13-2008, 09:17 PM

If it's what coffee says it is, that's some scary shit. I've heard of waiters building their own device that they swipe the credit card and it stores the information.

Lawson · #4 (**permalink**) 06-13-2008, 09:27 PM

coffee's right, when i walked in to pick up a lunch from her place i was SHOCKED...

I saw it and immediately told the owner, he told me that i could have it. I disassembled it as soon as i got home and found the batteries and the circuitry within. I'm going to try to make this thing work, i'm not sure if its an FM transmitter or proprietary to a separate receiver.

Craig · #5 (**permalink**) 06-13-2008, 09:34 PM

Man thats creepy

Lawson · #6 (**permalink**) 06-13-2008, 09:38 PM

i scoured spy shops for a couple hours today to try and find something of the same type, but most are much larger... This is about the size of the end of a pencil eraser.

Tulkas · #7 (**permalink**) 06-13-2008, 10:25 PM

maybe u should contact law enforcement or something...maybe they can help out

No-Fear · #8 (**permalink**) 06-13-2008, 10:28 PM

omg nice lawson that's the buttery slickness right there

Lawson · #9 (**permalink**) 06-13-2008, 10:36 PM

I just noticed it was something out of the ordinary, and i have photographic memory and i've been in this place like 40 times so i remember most of it. When i saw her slide my credit card i noticed it on the side of the machine. I wonder if its possible to reverse engineer it to pick up the frequency its broadcasting to, and locate the receiver?

Its most definitely someone within close proximity of the building...

DennyCrane · #10 (**permalink**) 06-13-2008, 11:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lawson

I just noticed it was something out of the ordinary, and i have photographic memory and i've been in this place like 40 times so i remember most of it. When i saw her slide my credit card i noticed it on the side of the machine. I wonder if its possible to reverse engineer it to pick up the frequency its broadcasting to, and locate the receiver?

Its most definitely someone within close proximity of the building...

They have frequency meters that will tell you the exact frequency of any transmitter near it. Radio Shack sells them (or at least used to... its where I bought mine). Maybe contact a local ham radio club. One of them will absolutely have one. If it's some modern transmitter with "spreadband technology", you'll probably be out of luck since they transmit on a section of frequencies and not a single one.
There's the possibility it's using RFID technology and that would mean it's powered by a certain radio frequency. Did you find a battery type? That might be a clue... the voltage and capacity, etc...
I'd love you to keep us updated on this.