What is Point Of Sales Tampering Fraud?

Point of sales (POS) tampering is a sophisticated crime that is designed to lift card account and PIN details from consumers as they use PIN activated keypads, either at the till or ATM cash machine.  This is also known as ‘skimming’ and in many cases the alterations made to the keypads are almost unnoticeable, allowing the thieves to lift the details of numerous customers before the tampering is identified and discovered.  Most customers do not realise their cards have been compromised until after the damage has been done and fraudulent charges have started appearing on their card accounts.

What measures are being taken against POS Fraud?

Retailers are taking a number of measures to protect against POS fraud and this includes fitting special ‘VOID’ seals on card readers, which will display a continuous warning message if anyone attempts to tamper with the reader even if the fraudster managers to re-apply the seal in its original condition.  Retailers are also being educated in the types of scenarios that could result in POS tampering, including contact from third party companies claiming to be working on behalf of card providers such as Visa, who are offering to ‘update’ or ‘service’ card reading machines.  This is a scam commonly used by fraudsters in order to gain access to card readers so that they tamper with them.

What can consumers of about POS Fraud

Consumers should avoid using ATM machines that are in isolated areas, as these are more likely to have been tampered with, and use machines inside banks to take out cash as these are more secure.  In many cases it is impossible to tell if a card reader has been tampered with, but you should look out for machines that look strange or have any obvious signs of damage around the edges, as this could indicate the security seal has been tampered with at some point.  Consumers should also make sure that they check their card statements carefully each month, and report any suspicious charges straight away.