Question

CASE Study: A Report on Global ATM Frauds

The Automatic Teller Machine (ATM) was first commercially introduced in the 1960s. By 2005, there were over 1.5 million ATMs installed worldwide. The introduction of the ATM proved to be an important technological development that enabled financial institutions to provide services to their customers in a 24X7 environment. The ATM has enhanced the convenience of customers by enabling them to access their cash wherever required from the nearest ATM.

However, as the banker and the customer are not face-to-face, there is the risk of fraud, which may affect the customers and also the bank's reputation.

Unscrupulous individuals have devised a number of methods to commit ATM frauds and these have become more sophisticated in nature over the years. ATM fraud has evolved from the conventional 'trick of shoulder surfing ‘to steal the PIN of customers at the ATM, to more sophisticated methods such as the Lebanese Loop, use of electronic gadgets, card jamming, card swapping, diversions, website spoofing, or phishing, ATM burglary, etc., which can be used to steal cash or ATM cards. Tricks used by fraudsters for stealing customers’ personal details include skimmer devices, fake PIN pad overlay, and PIN interception. Though the highest numbers of ATMs worldwide are installed in the Asia Pacific region, ATM frauds are more prevalent in Europe. The UK is often termed as the capital of Europe in terms of ATM frauds.

Financial institutions have implemented many strategies to upgrade the security at their ATMs and reduce scope for fraud. These include choosing a safe location for installing the ATM, installation of surveillance video cameras, remote monitoring, anti-card skimming solutions, and increasing consumer awareness by informing them of various methods of safeguarding their personal information while transacting at the ATM or on the Internet. In addition, a number of organizations across the world such as the NCR Corporation, Barclays Bank and the MasterCard have introduced fraud detection solutions. Financial institutions worldwide are shifting from magnetic strip cards to chip cards to prevent fraudsters from stealing the personal data of customers. There are also other challenges such as lack of consumer awareness, declining consumer confidence, and the fact that some financial organizations might conceal small frauds so as to maintain their goodwill in the industry.

Anti-money laundering regulations are being implemented worldwide to prevent ATM frauds. UL 291 Level 1 quality standards are being followed by ATM manufacturers to make them tamper-proof. In the UK, ICC Financial Investigation Bureau, the Fraud Intelligence Bureau, and DCPCU (The Dedicated Check and Plastic Crime Unit) have been set up to deal with ATM frauds. To safeguard consumer's interests, Japan has implemented regulations that direct financial organizations to refund fraud victims. Enhanced security at ATMs and increasing consumer awareness is estimated to decrease ATM frauds, and boost consumer confidence for using ATMs and transacting online.

Analyze the above case and justify necessary actions in encountering ATM frauds.

Answer 1

ATM is one of the digital technologies in the field of banking and finance which had revolutionized the banking industry by providing access to convenient banking services 24*7 though their interconnected network of ATMs all over the world . ATM internetwork operability have improved allowing the customer to have the facility of banking servies like cash withdrawals and other relevant servies at any of the internetwork atms worldwide.

However the following reasons have left the ATM with the possibility of digital fraud .

Problems were

1	· Being a self operated machine , it doesn’t need and face to face interaction with any bank official and unscrupulous persons use this as an advantage to steal both financial and nonfinancial data from the banking system
2	· Lack of digital literacy and awareness among the customers were also driving these frauds higher to higher level so consumer education is a challenge for the banking institutions too.
3	· The USE of magstripe cards in earlier days were exposing the vulnerable data of the customers card details which were scammed by the hackers using card cloning devices
4	Card Swapping , and jamming were the more sophisticate techniques used by these fraudster to jam or swap customers card with a fake one In steal cash from it

Actions in encountering these fraudulent activities

Financial institutions and ATM networks like NCR solutions have now developed anti fraud technologies in their atm network to prevent all these frauds Several steps including

· Installing surveillance system in ATMS

· Replacing the Magstripe card to Chip based cards have been done

· Fraud intelligence bureau have been set up to study and investigate all these frauds .

· Banks and FIs have been ordered to make good for the loss to the customers

· Making cutomers aware of the digital frauds

· Installing of anti card skimming solutions in the ATMS

· Moving the ATMs to more secure areas

· Changes and amendments in the Anti Money laundering regulations have also been done to prevent all such ATM frauds

All the actions have improved the customer confidence and enhanced the security allowing more number of customers to transact online and improve the global financial digital ecosystem