EAST Publishes European Fraud Update 2-2011

July 19, 2011 - PRLog -- This is based on country crime updates given by representatives of 21 countries in the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA), and 2 non-SEPA countries, at the 24th EAST meeting held in The Hague on 8th June 2011.

Skimming attacks at ATMs continue with twenty countries reporting incidents.  Eight countries reported increases in such incidents, and two countries decreases.  Two countries have reported a new variant of skimming device, and three countries that anti-skimming devices have been successfully over-ruled or removed by criminals.

Despite a continuing fall in overall losses, the trend of the majority of losses due to skimming occurring outside of EMV liability shift areas continues, with such losses reported in 35 countries outside of SEPA, and in 7 countries within SEPA.  The USA is the top location for such losses, followed by Argentina, the Dominican Republic and Russia.  Several countries have now seen the introduction of regional card blocking, with some card issuers blocking domestic cards for usage outside of Europe.

Skimming attacks have again been reported on unattended petrol station terminals, with six countries reporting such attacks.   Anti-skimming devices, where rolled out, have been effective.

Seven countries reported skimming attacks at point of sale (POS) terminals with one reporting card shimming attacks.  In this form of attack the criminals read the data from the EMV* chip and use it to create counterfeit magnetic strip cards.  These counterfeits cannot normally be used at EMV compliant terminals.

Ram raids and ATM burglary were reported by eleven countries, with two reporting decreases in such attacks.  Explosive gas attacks were reported by five countries and EAST members are currently investigating measures to counter this form of attack.

The full Update is available to EAST subscribers and details of how to subscribe to EAST can be found at https://www.european-atm-security.eu  

*EMV (also known as ‘chip and PIN’) is an industry standard for Smart Cards and card readers, supported by the European Payments Council and the major payment schemes


ENDS

(Background data on the Fraud Update & EAST follow)
For further information please contact the EAST Coordinator, Lachlan Gunn:
Email coordinator@eas-team.eu   Tel: + 44 131 5100268 or visit https://www.european-atm-security.eu / http://www.facebook.com/EASTatm


EUROPEAN ATM FRAUD UPDATE 2-2011
The above release is based on a European Fraud Update prepared three times a year by EAST, based on country crime updates given at its meetings.  These Updates are prepared by EAST to provide interested parties with an overview of the European ATM crime situation.  They are produced for EAST members, law enforcement officers and other EAST associates, and EAST subscribers.  The following countries supplied full or partial information for this Update:

Austria; Belgium; Bulgaria; Canada; Cyprus; Denmark; Finland; France; Germany;  Hungary; Ireland; Italy; Liechtenstein; Luxembourg; the Netherlands;  Norway;  Poland; Portugal; Russia; Slovakia; Sweden;  Switzerland;  the United Kingdom.

EAST has taken reasonable measures to develop this Update in a fair, reasonable, open, and objective manner.  However, EAST makes no claims, promises, or guarantees about the completeness of the Update.  In addition, as the information in the Update has been passed to EAST by other parties, errors or mistakes may exist or be discovered.  Neither EAST nor its members, authors, or agents shall be liable for any loss, damage, or claim with respect to any such information being provided.  All such liabilities, including direct, special, indirect, or consequential damages, are expressly disclaimed and excluded.

ABOUT EAST
Founded in 2004, EAST is a ‘non-profit’ organisation whose members are committed to gathering information from, and disseminating EAST reports to ATM deployers and networks within their countries/regions. While the main focus of EAST is on ATMs, the group also focuses on all payment terminals that have a direct impact on crime perpetrated at ATM locations.

Our mission is to gather and provide information to the European ATM industry and to facilitate effective representation of ATM related security issues at relevant European central institutions, through a pan-European co-ordination of ATM security resources.

EAST has set up a framework network structure to improve co-operation with industry, law enforcement, and in particular Europol, in order to achieve awareness and better results in the fight against organised cross-border crime.  Regular research polls are conducted through the EAST website.  More information can be found at https://www.european-atm-security.eu

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The European ATM Security Team (EAST) is a ‘not-for-profit’ organisation that gathers information from, and shares outputs with, ATM deployers and networks. While the main focus is on ATMs, EAST also covers ATM related crime at all payment terminals.