TMG, a card processing CUSO affiliated with the Iowa Credit Union League, announced that it is making anti-skimming technology available to its member CUs that seek additional protection for their ATMs.
Skimming is a term that covers a variety of strategies through which thieves attach devices or make material changes to an ATM in order to acquire card and personal identification numbers.
The CUSO is making available a package of anti-skimming measures from ADT Anti-Skim ATM Security Solutions. The package includes a surface sensor for the ATM, which can detect devices put over the ATM's card-entry slot to record card numbers, and an anti-skim jamming device.
When these devices detect abnormalities at an ATM, they can notify ADT or the credit union.
"Many of our clients operate ATM networks in particularly hard-hit regions," said Karen Postma, TMG's senior cards risk manager, referring to the rise in skimming attacks along the East and West Coasts. "TMG will introduce this solution on a proactive basis, allowing our clients access to one of the most effective anti-skimming solutions available."
San Diego-based Mission Federal Credit Union is among the first of TMG clients to deploy the devices. The $2.1 billion credit union will start using the technology this fall.
"Protecting cardholder data is an absolute priority for us," said Brenda Link, Mission FCU's vice president of electronic payment processing. "We did a great deal of research before we decided to invest in the anti-skim devices and believe that they will provide us with a real advantage in the ever-evolving fight against fraud."
According to Postma, ADT anti-skim solutions top the list of effective skimming protections, which also includes tactics such as cardholder education, security-guard monitoring and video surveillance.
Postma noted that skimming attacks are rarely reported by financial institutions, adding to skimming's appeal among fraudsters. If a financial institution opts to connect Anti-Skim with ADT's command center, reports of these attacks can be documented comprehensively, putting law enforcement in a greatly improved position to shut down crime rings operating in the U.S.
--dmorrison@cutimes.com
