Worldwide cash machine fraud is one of the fastest growing forms of card fraud. By their very nature ATMs are in place to provide a service to the public and it is this accessibility which makes them a convenient target for hardened and opportunist criminals alike. Criminals, often in organised gangs, are applying various methods to obtain card details in particular card skimming where a card reading device is secretly fitted to an ATM. Add to this the perennial problem of straight forward theft from customers once they have made a withdrawal, and it becomes clear just what the banks are up against on a daily basis.
This increase in ATM crime underlines the need for vigilance and it is CCTV systems – specifically network enabled DVRs – that will be at the very heart of efforts to deal with this threat. The ability to use text search engines to allow bank security staff to rapidly associate transaction data with the relevant video footage – homing in on suspicious activity – is a key benefit. This type of system can also be used to provide the sort of evidence which the police require to address the fraudulent use of cash and credit cards, and to help staff deal with customer queries over cash withdrawals.
The hope has to be that as more advanced systems come on line, the banks can stay one step ahead in their battle with the fraudsters.