Granted Patent B2

US 8,704,633 · App. 13/099,795 · Granted Apr 22, 2014

Abstract

Claims (30)

1. A method of preventing fraud at a self-service terminal, the method comprising:

receiving a signal from an electromagnetic sensor located in the vicinity of an electromagnetic signal transmitter;

monitoring a drive signal being delivered to the electromagnetic signal transmitter;

comparing the drive signal with the electromagnetic sensor signal;

ascertaining if a state of the electromagnetic sensor signal is inconsistent with a state of the drive signal including the sub-steps of:

ascertaining when the drive signal is activated; and

ascertaining the state of the electromagnetic sensor signal when the drive signal is activated; and

triggering an alarm when the state of the electromagnetic sensor signal is inconsistent with a state of the drive signal including triggering an alarm if the electromagnetic sensor signal is already active at the moment the drive signal is activated.

2. A fraud prevention device for use in a self-service terminal, the device comprising:

an electromagnetic signal transmitter that emits on command a jamming signal operable to interfere with any alien reader located near the electromagnetic signal transmitter;

an electromagnetic sensor located in the vicinity of the electromagnetic signal transmitter and operable to detect the jamming signal;

a signal generator operable to create a drive signal for driving the electromagnetic signal transmitter;

a comparator operable to compare the drive signal with the electromagnetic sensor signal to detect inconsistencies between the drive signal and electromagnetic sensor signal; and

an alarm generator operable to trigger an alarm when the electromagnetic sensor signal is inconsistent with the drive signal including to trigger an alarm if the electromagnetic sensor signal is already active at the moment the drive signal is activated.

3. A fraud prevention device according to claim 2 , wherein the signal generator, the comparator, and the alarm generator are all located on a controller separate from the electromagnetic signal transmitter.

4. A fraud prevention device according to claim 3 , wherein the signal generator, the comparator, and the alarm generator are all located on a controller that is also populated with the electromagnetic signal transmitter.

5. A fraud prevention device according to claim 2 , wherein the electromagnetic signal transmitter comprises a plurality of inductive coil drives.

6. A fraud prevention device according to claim 5 , wherein the signal generator includes an inductive coil drive circuit operable to create a signal for each inductive coil drive, each signal having a fixed frequency.

7. A self-service terminal (SST) comprising:

a card reader operable to detect presentation of a card;

a fraud prevention device according to claim 2 .

8. A self-service terminal according to claim 7 , wherein the self-service terminal includes a cash dispenser.

9. A method of preventing fraud at a self-service terminal, the method comprising:

receiving a signal from an electromagnetic sensor located in the vicinity of an electromagnetic signal transmitter;

monitoring a drive signal being delivered to the electromagnetic signal transmitter;

comparing the drive signal with the electromagnetic sensor signal;

ascertaining if a state of the electromagnetic sensor signal is inconsistent with a state of the drive signal including the sub-steps of:

ascertaining when the drive signal is de-activated and

ascertaining the state of the electromagnetic sensor signal when the drive signal is de-activated; and

triggering an alarm when the state of the electromagnetic sensor signal is inconsistent with a state of the drive signal including triggering an alarm if the electromagnetic sensor signal is already inactive at the moment the drive signal is de-activated.

Assignments (9)