IP Library Granted Patent US 12,499,446
Granted Patent B2
US 12,499,446 · App. 17/808,005 · Granted Dec 16, 2025

Card skimming detection

Inventors: Benjamin Yin (McLean, VA); Geeta Shyamala (Herndon, VA); Nahid Farhady Ghalaty (Fairfax, VA)
Assignee: Capital One Services, LLC
G06Q20/4016G06K7/087
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,499,446
App. No.
17/808,005
Granted
Dec 16, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

In some implementations, a physical medium for card skimming detection may include a magnetic stripe, on which account information associated with a user account may be stored, one or more sensors configured to detect when information is read from the magnetic stripe, and a processor. The physical medium may detect a first read and a second read of the magnetic stripe. The physical medium may determine that the first read and the second read occur within a time threshold of each other. The physical medium may transmit, to a device and based on determining that the first read and the second read occur with the time threshold of each other, an alert signal indicating a potential threat associated with the user account.

Claims (65)

1 . A system for card skimming detection, the system comprising:

a physical medium that includes:

a magnetic stripe on which account information associated with a user account is stored;

one or more sensors configured to detect when information is read from the magnetic stripe; and

a processor configured to:

receive a first signal from a first sensor, of the one or more sensors, indicating a first read of the magnetic stripe, wherein the first read is detected by the first sensor;

receive a second signal from a second sensor, of the one or more sensors, indicating a second read of the magnetic stripe, wherein the second read is detected by the second sensor;

determine that the first read, detected by the first sensor, and the second read, detected by the second sensor, occur within a time threshold of each other, wherein the time threshold is representative of a minimum length of time associated with physically interfacing the physical medium with a card reader two separate times; and

transmit, to a device and based on determining that the first read, detected by the first sensor, and the second read, detected by the second sensor, occur within the time threshold of each other, an alert signal indicating a potential threat associated with the user account; and

a processing system that includes:

one or more memories; and

one or more processors, communicatively coupled to the one or more memories, configured to:

receive, from the device, the alert signal; and

perform an action associated with the user account based on receiving the alert signal.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the action includes transmitting a notification to a user device associated with the user account, and

wherein the notification indicates the potential threat associated with the user account, and the notification requests input from a user of the user device to perform a second action.

3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the one or more processors of the processing system are further configured to:

receive the input from the user device; and

lock the user account based on the input from the user device.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the action includes locking the user account.

5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the one or more processors of the processing system are further configured to:

transmit a notification to a user device associated with the user account, wherein the notification indicates that the user account has been locked due to the potential threat.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the device is a terminal of an interaction party,

wherein the action includes transmitting a notification to an interaction party device of the interaction party, and

wherein the notification indicates a potential presence of a skimming device in or on the terminal.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the device is a terminal, and one of the first read, detected by the first sensor, or the second read, detected by the second sensor is performed by the terminal, wherein the action includes transmitting a notification to a law enforcement device associated with a law enforcement agency, and

wherein the notification indicates a potential presence of a skimming device in or on the terminal, and the notification includes a geographic location associated with the terminal.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein

the processor of the physical medium is configured to transmit the alert signal when the processor receives the first signal from the first sensor and the second signal from the second sensor.

9 . A physical medium for card skimming detection, the physical medium comprising:

a magnetic stripe on which information associated with a user account is stored;

one or more sensors configured to detect when the information is read from the magnetic stripe; and

a processor configured to:

receive a first signal from a first sensor, of the one or more sensors, indicating a first read of the magnetic stripe, wherein the first read is detected by the first sensor;

receive a second signal from a second sensor, of the one or more sensors, indicating a second read of the magnetic stripe, wherein the second read is detected by the second sensor;

determine that the first read, detected by the first sensor, and the second read, detected by the second sensor, occur within a time threshold of each other, wherein the time threshold is representative of a minimum length of time associated with physically interfacing the physical medium with a card reader two separate times; and

transmit, to a device and based on determining that the first read, detected by the first sensor, and the second read, detected by the second sensor, occur within the time threshold of each other, an alert signal indicating a potential threat associated with the user account.

10 . The physical medium of claim 9 , wherein

the processor is configured to transmit the alert signal when the processor receives the first signal from the first sensor and the second signal from the second sensor.

11 . The physical medium of claim 9 , wherein one of the first read, detected by the first sensor, or the second read, detected by the second sensor, is performed by a terminal, and

wherein the processor, to transmit the alert signal, is configured to transmit the alert signal to the terminal.

12 . The physical medium of claim 9 , wherein the processor configured to transmit the alert signal, is configured to transmit the alert signal to a user device associated with the user account.

13 . A method of card skimming detection, comprising:

receiving, by a processor of a physical medium and from a first sensor of one or more sensors of the physical medium, a first signal indicating a first read of a magnetic stripe of the physical medium,

wherein information associated with a user account is stored on the magnetic stripe,

wherein the one or more sensors are configured to detect when the information is read from the magnetic stripe, and

wherein the first read is detected by the first sensor;

receiving, by the processor and from a second sensor of the one or more sensors, a second signal indicating a second read of the magnetic stripe,

wherein the second read is detected by the second sensor;

determining, by the processor and based on receiving the first signal and the second signal, that the first read, detected by the first sensor, and the second read, detected by the second sensor, occur within a time threshold of each other, wherein the time threshold is representative of a minimum length of time associated with physically interfacing the physical medium with a card reader two separate times;

receiving, from the processor, based on the determining, and by a system having one or more processors, an alert signal indicating a potential threat associated with the user account; and

performing, by the system, an action associated with the user account based on receiving the alert signal.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the action includes transmitting a notification to a user device associated with the user account, and

wherein the notification indicates the potential threat associated with the user account, and the notification requests input from a user of the user device to perform a second action.

15 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

receiving the input from the user device; and

locking the user account based on the input from the user device.

16 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the action includes locking the user account.

17 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising:

transmitting a notification to a user device associated with the user account, wherein the notification indicates that the user account has been locked due to the potential threat.

18 . The method of claim 13 , wherein one of the first read, detected by the first sensor, or the second read, detected by the second sensor, is performed by a terminal associated with an interaction party, wherein the action includes transmitting a notification to an interaction party device of the interaction party, and

wherein the notification indicates a potential presence of a skimming device in or on the terminal.

19 . The method of claim 13 , wherein one of the first read, detected by the first sensor, or the second read, detected by the second sensor, is performed by a terminal associated with an interaction party, wherein the action includes transmitting a notification to a law enforcement device associated with a law enforcement agency, and

wherein the notification indicates a potential presence of a skimming device in or on the terminal, and the notification includes a geographic location associated with the terminal.

20 . The method of claim 13 , wherein receiving the alert signal comprises receiving the alert signal from a user device associated with the user account.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 21, 2022
From: YIN, BENJAMIN; SHYAMALA, GEETA; GHALATY, NAHID FARHADY
To: CAPITAL ONE SERVICES, LLC
Reel/Frame 060264/0995 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230410114A1 · Dec 21, 2023
References Cited (14)
US 7036731B2 · Isono · 2006 [cited by examiner]
US 10572698B1 · Keener · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 10936928B2 · Scaife · 2021 [cited by examiner]
US 20140263646A1 · Manesh · 2014 [cited by examiner]
US 20160171361A1 · Chatterton · 2016 [cited by examiner]
US 20180005227A1 · Sandeløv · 2018 [cited by examiner]
US 20190147447A1 · McIntyre · 2019 [cited by examiner]
US 20200043010A1 · Kwatra · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 20220245617A1 · Momose · 2022 [cited by examiner]
EP 3471041A1 · 2019 [cited by examiner]
WO WO2012151651A1 · 2012 [cited by examiner]
WO WO2017127874A1 · 2017 [cited by examiner]
M. M. K. Al Rawahi and S. S. K. Nair, “Detecting skimming devices in ATM through image processing,” 2015 IEEE/ACS 12th International Conference of Computer Systems and Applications (AICCSA), Marrakech, Morocco, 2015, pp… [cited by examiner]
“Hunter Cat—Card Skimmer Detector—Lab 401,” Website: https://lab401.com/products/hunter-cat-card-skimmer-detector, Obtained Jun. 21, 2022, 6 Pages. [cited by applicant]