Anti-skimming card reader computing device

• US 10,262,326 B1
• Filed: 07/31/2017
• Issued: 04/16/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wells Fargo Bank NA (Wells Fargo & Company)
• Original Assignee: Wells Fargo Bank NA (Wells Fargo & Company)
• Inventors: Yaqub, Raziq
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Ahshik
• Application Number:
  US15/664,919
• Time in Patent Office: 624 Days
• Field of Search: 235380
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0185 Product, service or business identity fraud
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/265 Personal security, identity or safety

Abstract

A computing device that includes a card reader component including a card reader, a plurality of micro cameras positioned proximate to the card reader, a battery detector circuit, and processing circuitry in communication with the card reader component, the plurality of micro cameras, and the battery detector circuit is described. The processing circuitry is configured to analyze one or more images captured by the plurality of micro cameras, determine that one or more of the images captured by the plurality of micro cameras is obscured, in response to the determination that the one or more of the images of the plurality of micro cameras is obscured, initiate the battery detector circuit, and in response to the battery detector circuit detecting a presence of an external battery near the card reader, determine that a skimming device is affixed over the card reader component.

Claims

1. A computing device comprising:

a card reader component comprising a card reader;

a plurality of micro cameras positioned proximate to the card reader;

a battery detector circuit; and

processing circuitry in communication with the card reader component, the plurality of micro cameras, and the battery detector circuit, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to;

analyze one or more images captured by the plurality of micro cameras;

determine that one or more of the images captured by the plurality of micro cameras is obscured;

in response to the determination that the one or more of the images of the plurality of micro cameras is obscured, initiate the battery detector circuit, and

in response to the battery detector circuit detecting a presence of an external battery near the card reader, determine that a skimming device is affixed over the card reader component.

2. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the card reader component further comprises a card slot and a card reader shutter, and wherein the processing circuitry is configured to, in response to the determination that the skimming device is affixed over the card reader component, close the card reader shutter over the card slot to prevent transactions using the card reader.

3. The computing device of claim 1, further comprising a surveillance camera in communication with the processing circuitry, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to, in response to the determination that the skimming device is affixed over the card reader component, initiate the surveillance camera to capture one or more images.

4. The computing device of claim 1, further comprising one or more user interface devices including a display in communication with the processing circuitry, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to, in response to the determination that the skimming device is affixed over the card reader component:

instruct the display to present an out of operation message; and

lock the one or more user interface devices of the computing device to prevent transactions using the card reader from occurring.

5. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to, in response to the determination that the skimming device is affixed over the card reader component, send a notification of the skimming device to one or more servers via a network connection.

6. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the battery detector circuit comprises a Hall Effect sensor configured to generate a voltage in response to a static magnetic field from a nearby direct current (DC) power source, and wherein the battery detector circuit detects the presence of the external battery based on a comparison of the voltage to a threshold.

7. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of micro cameras are located behind a protective housing of the card reader component, wherein the protective housing includes a plurality of holes aligned with the plurality of micro cameras.

8. The computing device of claim 1, further comprising a display in communication with the processing circuitry, wherein the processing circuitry:

instructs the display to present an introduction user interface to a user of the computing device; and

in response to input received from the user indicating a need to use the computing device, instructs the display to present an informational video about skimming devices to the user.

9. A method comprising:

analyzing, by a computing device having a card reader component comprising a card reader, one or more images captured by a plurality of micro cameras positioned on the computing device proximate to the card reader;

determining, by the computing device, that one or more of the images captured by the plurality of micro cameras is obscured;

in response to the determination that the one or more of the images of the plurality of micro cameras is obscured, initiating a battery detector circuit included in the computing device; and

in response to the battery detector circuit detecting a presence of an external battery near the card reader, determining that a skimming device is affixed over the card reader component of the computing device.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising, in response to determining that the skimming device is affixed over the card reader component:

closing a card reader shutter over a card slot of the card reader component to prevent transactions using the card reader.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising, in response to determining that the skimming device is affixed over the card reader component:

initiating a surveillance camera included in the computing device to capture one or more images.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising, in response to determining that the skimming device is affixed over the card reader component:

presenting, on a display of the computing device, an out of operation message; and

locking one or more user interface devices of the computing device to prevent transactions using the card reader from occurring.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising, in response to determining that the skimming device is affixed over the card reader component:

sending a notification of the skimming device to one or more servers in communication with the computing device.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein initiating the battery detector circuit included in the computing device comprises:

initiating a Hall Effect sensor configured to generate a voltage in response to a static magnetic field from a nearby direct current (DC) power source; and

detecting the presence of the external battery based on a comparison of the voltage to a threshold.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

presenting, on a display of the computing device, an introduction user interface to a user of the computing device; and

in response to input received from the user indicating a need to use the computing device, presenting, on the display, an informational video about skimming devices to the user.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the one or more images comprise a first set of images, the method further comprising:

analyzing a second set of images captured by the plurality of micro cameras;

determining that none of the images of the first set of images are obscured based on the second set of images; and

in response to the determination that none of the images of the first set of images are obscured, resuming normal operation of the computing device.

17. The method of claim 9, wherein the one or more images comprise a first set of images, the method further comprising:

analyzing a second set of images captured by the plurality of micro cameras;

determining that one or more of the images of the first set of images is obscured based on the second set of images;

in response to the determination that the one or more of the images of the first set of images is obscured, initiating the battery detector circuit; and

in response to the battery detector circuit detecting no external battery near the card reader, resuming normal operation of the computing device.

18. The method of claim 9, further comprising detecting, by the battery detector circuit of the computing device, the presence of the external battery near the card reader for a predetermined amount of time.

19. A system comprising:

a computing device comprising a card reader component including a card reader, a plurality of micro cameras positioned proximate to the card reader, and a battery detector circuit, wherein the computing device is configured to, in response to a determination that one or more images captured by the plurality of micro cameras is obscured, initiate the battery detector circuit, and, in response to the battery detector circuit detecting a presence of an external battery near the card reader, determine that a skimming device is affixed over the card reader component; and

a server device in communication with the computing device and configured to;

receive, from the computing device, a notification that the skimming device is affixed over the card reader component of the computing device; and

in response to the notification, send instructions to one or more support servers to initiate a plurality of surveillance cameras located in a surrounding area of the computing device, and send instructions to the computing device to enact one or more security measures to prevent transactions using the card reader component of the computing device.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein, to send instructions to the computing device to enact the one or more security measures, the server device is further configured to send instructions to at least one of:

close a card reader shutter over a card slot of the card reader component of the computing device to prevent transactions using the card reader component;

initiate a surveillance camera included in the computing device to capture one or more images;

or

present, on a display of the computing device, an out of operation message.