‘Anti-skim devices in 90% of our city ATMs’

KOLKATA: All leading banks in the city have started installing anti-skimming devices in their teller machines to stop incidents of ATM tampering using skimming devices. The move was prompted by a spate of ATM frauds reported from several parts of the city.Banks have assured customers who are cagey about using ATMs in the Puja shopping season that the installation of anti-skimming devices will be completed in most of the 11,500-odd ATMs in the state before the Pujas. Some banks like HDFC and United Bank of India ( UBI ) are hoping to finish installing the devices even earlier.The RBI had directed the banks to enhance cyber security, including the installation of anti-skimming devices in ATMs. The deadline for completing the installations is March 2019.According to an estimate, over 40% of ATMs in the state already have the anti-skimming device installed.The chief general manager of SBI, Partha Pratim Sengupta, has said that the antiskimming device has already been installed in a substantial number of SBI’s 3,500-odd teller machines. “Unlike many other ATMs, most of our ATMs have security guards, so chances of breaking in or skimming are less,” Sengupta added.Bank officials feel antiskimming devices were a possible antidote to the type of ATM frauds reported late last week. The fraudsters in these cases used a skimmer — a device set in the machines where customers swipe the cards to withdraw money. The skimmer captures data from the magnetic strip on the card, which is used to clone them.An HDFC Bank official said almost 90% of its ATMs in Bengal are now equipped with the anti-skimming device. “As far as Kolkata is concerned, almost all of our 120 ATMs are now equipped with the technology,” the official said.The UBI has installed the anti-skimming device in nearly 50% of its ATMs. A UBI official pointed out that banking frauds using skimmers have become rampant all over the country. “It is a very common fraud now. We have seen that an anti-skimming device can protect ATMs from such things. The device has to be installed inside the machine,” the official added.According to a banking IT expert, the latest ATMs being installed have an inbuilt anti-skimming system. “As the device has to be inserted into the machine, logistics are very important. This is why RBI has proposed the March deadline, giving the banks some time,” he added.