Internet cashpoint blunder

A picture accidentally broadcast live on the internet could have blown a secret police operation.

It was taken from a Transport for London camera normally used to monitor traffic on the busy intersection of High Holborn and Kingsway.

At the request of the police it had been trained on a cashpoint to help detectives conducting an undercover operation.

But in an amazing gaffe by TfL, images were posted on its "traffic camera" website. The Evening Standard was able to monitor the feed for over 12 hours, and look at pictures of dozens of cashpoint users.

TfL today admitted the problem was a technical glitch, and pulled the plug on its entire traffic site until the mystery has been solved.

A spokeswoman said: "The camera network is accessible to the Metropolitan Police, who use it for some operations.

When that happens the feed is cut, and there is a delay in place to make sure the feed is not being broadcast. On this occasion, a technical glitch meant this did not happen.

"It seems the technology just went awol."

The organisation has launched an investigation into the blunder, which also compromised the police operation.

The spokeswoman added: "We have taken down the entire system, and won't reinstate it until we are sure this glitch has been fixed."

Customers at the cashpoint, outside Sainsbury's on the corner of Kingsway and High Holborn, were astonished to hear the TfL camera was broadcasting their every move on the internet. Security experts warned fraudsters could make use of the cameras to gain users' PINs.

Professor Ross Anderson of Cambridge University, one of Britain's leading computer security experts, said: "This is a known technique for defrauding customers.

"But this is the first time I have heard of a government camera being used for this purpose. It is inevitable that criminals will use these to capture card details."

Although the website shows a picture every few seconds, controllers and TfL staff would have access to a full colour live feed from the camera. Professor Anderson warned this would be more than adequate to capture a PIN.

He said: "It's very simple. The camera is used to get the PIN, and inside the cashpoint there could be a hidden card reader put there by the criminals.

"This copies the magnetic information from the card. With that and the PIN, a duplicate card can be created and used."

Kim Mortimer, a 22-year-old legal PA who uses the machine, said: "I'm certainly not happy with this being shown on the internet. I would never have noticed that up there. It's just not a good idea."

Media assistant Miles Riseborough, 24, said: "I'm particularly concerned considering the number of people who use the internet.

"I have no idea why they're doing that, it's just ridiculous. The camera seems to have a pretty good view and a lot of people use this machine every day."