[anexprogrammer]

> have you heard that thieves are guessing PINs someplace in the world? I haven't, and the world is full of dedicated thieves.

Not so much guessing, but there have been several cases, at least one very well publicised, where thieves have gamed the PIN generator sequences[1].

What often happens, of course, in cases where wide systemic problems exist in banking is it's very effectively hushed. For rather obvious reasons.

[1] http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/10/21/phantoms_and_rogues/...

[nxzero]

Sounds like organized crime, which is to say a rogue employee was forced, paid, or conspired to only generate one of three PINs knowing that they'd the theif would get three chances.

Today, pretty sure that a solicitor in the same situation would be required by law to report the information to the Serious Organized Crime Agency.