Field of Invention

The present invention relates to a device, arranged for preventing fraud on self- service terminals (SST) such as ATMs, and essentially comprising a detector; an anti-skimming device, transmitting a disruptive signal, according to conditions specified, for avoiding the reading of data on magnetic card.

Background of Invention

The present patent application is a continuation of the international patent applications PCT/TR2005/000007 and PCT/TR2006/000055 assigned to same applicants.

Magnetic cards are frequently used particularly in banking transactions at ATMs, as well as at gas station pumps, or for purchasing travel tickets, or at self-service terminals (SSTs), which provide for transactions following the login to private accounts.

A self-service terminal (SST) such as an ATM is generally classified in two groups, one of these groups being represented by motorized-type devices, which take the magnetic card in completely by means of a driver unit, and the other kind being represented by devices without motors (i.e. motorless type), which take the magnetic card in partially. Further, typically, an ATM comprises the following basic structural components: A card inlet slot, a card driver unit (in motorized-type devices), a card reader, a power unit, and a processor.

In order to conduct a banking transaction by means of an ATM, a user (card holder) is required first to insert the magnetic card into the card inlet slot, whereafter this card is driven into the ATM by means of the card driver unit in motorized-type devices and then the data on the magnetic strip of the card is read by means of the device. If the card belongs to a valid user as determined following the data reading process, the ATM provides guiding information on the monitor, asking the user to enter the PIN code.

In ATM-like SSTs, another card reader (fraudulent) can be attempted to be placed before the ATM's own card inlet slot for acquiring data fraudulently from a magnetic card to be inserted, so that the magnetic card is passed through this fraudulent card reader and the current card information is copied or skimmed and the card is then passed through the ATM's original card reader and processed accordingly.

It is known that various devices have been proposed to detect the presence of a fraudulent card reader on an ATM and to prevent the skimming or copying of card information fraudulently. Patent application US 6422475, for instance, discloses a search coil, which is located in the vicinity of a user interface element and particularly at the throat of the card reader module, and which detects the presence of a foreign body in the vicinity of the card inlet slot. US 6422475 further comprises a controller to generate an alarm signal, when the presence of a metal is detected in the vicinity of the magnetic card reader for a time period exceeding a predetermined period of time.

US 6390367 discloses an SST, comprising a proximity sensor disposed at the vicinity of the user interface for detecting the presence of a foreign body positioned at the user interface or at the vicinity thereof. It is also possible to transmit a signal to the terminal operator, when a foreign body is detected by means of the proximity sensor according to US 6390367.

US 2004035929 discloses a device, wherein an ultrasonic wave sensor detects the presence or absence of a foreign body until a card is inserted into the card slot at the standby mode, and wherein an alarm signal is generated, if the ultrasonic sensor fails to detect the presence of card after the card is removed from the slot. Brief Description of Invention

One object of the present invention is to provide the transmittance of a disruptive signal to the vicinity of the card inlet slot in an efficient manner for preventing the copying of magnetic cards in SSTs, such as ATMs.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an efficient detection of fraudulent card readers, which allow copying magnetic card information for fraudulent purposes in SSTs, such as ATMs.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an efficient detection of fraudulent card readers, which allow copying magnetic card information for fraudulent purposes, and to provide the transmittance of a disruptive signal to the vicinity of the card inlet slot in SSTs, such as ATMs.

These objects are achieved by an anti-skimming device comprising a transmitter capable of transmitting electromagnetic signals to a skimming device placed in the vicinity of a card inlet slot of an SST containing an interface, the card inlet slot, and a card reader, for the prevention of this skimming device from copying or skimming a magnetic card information. The signal generated by the transmitter of the anti- skimming device according to the present invention is substantially in sinusoidal form with a randomly-altering frequency.

The device according to the present invention can terminate the signal generation of the transmitter of an anti-skimming device, while a magnetic card is being read by means of the ATM's reader in SSTs, with motorized card readers.

The device according to the present invention can also comprise a detector with a transmitter antenna and a receiver antenna, as devised for use particularly in motorless type of ATMs and for triggering the aforesaid anti-skimming device. Said detector may also be used in motorized type ATMs; in this variation however, the detector is not used for triggering the anti-skimming device, but to generate a signal preferably to another unit, such as a central processing unit, or to output directly an audible or visible alarm signal. Said detector is a capacitive detector, disposed at the inner surface of the interface, not facing the user side.

The transmitter of the capacitive detector according to the present invention transmits a signal of 32 kHz frequency or above by means of its antenna, whereas the detector's receiver evaluates the signal received by means of its antenna in a microprocessor.

Brief Description of Figures

Figure 1 illustrates symbolically the capacitive detector according to the present invention with the electronic components to which the capacitive detector is connected.

Figure 2 illustrates symbolically the anti-skimming device according to the present invention with the electronic components to which the anti-skimming device is connected.

Figure 3 illustrates symbolically the capacitive detector and the anti-skimming device according to the present invention with the electronic components to which the capacitive detector and the anti-skimming device are connected.

Detailed Description of Invention

As illustrated in Figure 1 , the detector according to the present invention preferably comprises a "U" shaped and nested configuration of a detector transmitter antenna (1) and a detector receiver antenna (2). The detector transmitter antenna (1) is connected to a signal generator (3).

After the signals transmitted from the detector transmitter antenna (1 ) are received by the detector receiver antenna (2), they are amplified by means of a signal amplifier circuit (4) to which the receiver antenna (2) is connected. After the signals emitted from the detector receiver antenna (2) are passed through a filter circuit (5) to refine the signals from electronic noise, they are sent to a signal level setting circuit (6) connected to a microprocessor (7). When the detector is activated for the first time, the signal level setting circuit (6) changes the setting voltage (V _c ), so that its output voltage (V ₀ ) is set by means of the microprocessor (7) to a certain level, for instance to 2.5V.

If a foreign body is placed to the SST's interface (13), after the voltage (V ₀ ) at the output of the detector's signal level setting circuit (6) is set to this determined level, e.g. to 2.5V, there shall occur a change in the detector's capacity so that the output voltage (V ₀ ) of the signal level setting circuit (6) is altered. In this case, if the output voltage (V ₀ ) exceeds a determined threshold level for a determined period of time, the microprocessor (7) generates an alarm signal. The microprocessor (7) comprises an A/D converter, converting the analog output voltage (V ₀ ) to digital data in order to execute logic processes.

Under normal operation conditions, the output voltage (V ₀ ) of the signal level setting circuit (6) has an operation interval, which can be called as the compensation gap, in which the microprocessor operates (7) without generating any alarms. For instance, in an embodiment in which the output voltage (V ₀ ) is determined to be as 2.5V, the compensation gap may be determined as 2.65V to 2.30V. Thus, since small increases or decreases to occur in the output voltage (V ₀ ) due to external temperature or weather conditions shall remain within this compensation gap, the microprocessor (7) would generate no alarm signal.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to use the detector particularly in motorized type of ATMs independently from the anti- skimming device, such that any alarm signal generated by the detector can be transmitted, e.g. to a remote central processor unit by means of a data link (8), or can be directly output in the form of an audible or visible alarm. When the detector is used in motorless type of ATMs, it can be operated together, i.e. in connection with the anti-skimming device, such that any alarm signal generated by the detector triggers the activation of the anti-skimming device. The capacitive detector according to the present invention is assembled to the inner surface of the SST, i.e. the side of the SST not facing the user, so as not be seen from the exterior. The detector's transmitter signal operates preferably at 32 kHz frequency or above.

As described in the applications PCT/TR2005/000007 and PCT/TR2006/000055, the anti-skimming device (9) comprises a coil-shaped device transmitter (11) capable of emitting electromagnetic signals to the vicinity of the SST's card inlet slot (10), this signal being thereby induced over the coil of any skimming device placed in the vicinity of the card inlet slot (10), resultantly preventing the reading of any magnetic card.

The signal emitted by the transmitter (11) of the device according to the present invention is generally sinusoidal; indeed the SST reader (12) or the reader of the skimming device reads the data from the magnetic card in the form of sinusoidal signals, such that if the signal generated by the device transmitter (11) is not of sinusoidal form, this disruptive signal can be detected relatively simply by means of a signal decoder possibly adapted to the skimming device, resulting in the danger of subjecting the disruptive signal to filtering. On the other hand, although the signal generated by the device transmitter (11) has generally sinusoidal form, it has a randomly-altered signal frequency. By means of this signal emitted with randomly-altered frequency, the case is prevented in which the skimming device filters this disruptive signal emitted from the transmitter (11) and reads a magnetic card. The anti-skimming device according to the present invention can be used in motorized type of ATMs without using the detector, or if a detector is present, the detector and the anti-skimming device may be used independent from each other, or the anti-skimming device may be used in connection with the detector, in motorless type of ATMs.

The signals transmitted from the transmitter (11) of the anti-skimming device according to the present invention in motorized type ATMs prevent the reader of the skimming device from correctly reading a magnetic card, but these signals may also avoid the ATM, or any other SST, from properly reading a magnetic card. To overcome this problem, the microprocessor (7) controls a switch, which is disposed in the card inlet slot (10) and which detects that a magnetic card is inserted into the ATM, and then measures the current drawn by the ATM's card reader (12) from the supply voltage, so as to determine at which position the card is. In line with this switch control and the data about the position of magnetic card, the microprocessor (7) interrupts the signal transmission of the device transmitter (11 ) when a magnetic card is being read by the reader of the ATM.

In motorized type of ATMs, a capacitor connected in parallel to the transmitter (11) is used for rendering the signal sinusoidal, this signal being emitted in an interval of 400 to 2000 Hz by the device transmitter (11). Due to this parallel circuit, the device transmitter (11) keeps generating a fading signal for a short period of time, even if the transmitter's driving signal is interrupted, and this fading signal prevents the reader in motorized type ATMs, or SSTs, from correctly reading a magnetic card, in a manner similar to that given above.

To avoid this problem, a constant driving signal of 10 kHz or above is applied - which is quite higher than the transmitter's (11) operating frequency- in place of interrupting the driving signal forwarded to the device transmitter (11), and since the actual operating frequency of the device transmitter (11) and of the capacitor connected to said transmitter are lower than this frequency applied, this applied high-frequency signal cannot be emitted, such that the low-frequency signal is suddenly interrupted.

In motorless type of ATMs, on the other hand, the detector, detecting the presence of any skimming device and accordingly triggering the anti-skimming device, alerts the anti-skimming device, terminating the signal generation of the anti-skimming device's transmitter (11), when the skimming device is taken away from the card inlet slot (10). When the output voltage (V ₀ ) of the signal level setting circuit (6) is left under a determined threshold value for a certain period of time Δt, this control is ensured with the detector terminating its signal and thus the anti-skimming device terminating its signal generation. While the anti-skimming device emits signal in motorless type of ATMs, it is not possible to use the ATM.