New technology created at the University of Florida aims to stop card skimmers

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Cybersecurity researchers at the University of Florida have come up with a pocket-sized solution for a massive problem that costs consumers billions of dollars every year.

Action News Jax anchor Tenikka Hughes traveled to Gainesville to get a look at the technology promising to beat scammers at their own game.

The device is called the “Skim Reaper” and it could be a game-changer for consumer safety.

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“We decided it needed a name more commensurate with the fear it should put into these bad guys!” UF doctoral researcher Nolan Scaife said.

These bad guys steal from you by installing credit card skimmers on everything from gas pumps and ATMs, to the checkout aisle at your favorite stores.

“I know that a lot of people scam and get card info and I really don't want that,” driver Lyndsey Leake said.

UF associate professor Dr. Patrick Traynor, along with doctoral research students Nolan Scaife and Christian Peeters, spent several years using feedback from law enforcement to create a tool to protect your wallet.

“There is an arms race going on and bad guys are becoming more sophisticated in the ways they are hiding their devices,” Traynor said.

Card readers contain read heads, or metal points that read the data from your credit card's magnetic stripe.

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Skimmers also contain read heads that work the exact same way. With a simple "swipe or dip,” the Skim Reaper is able to detect when a machine has more read heads than it should have and puts out an instant alert that a skimmer might be installed.

Driver Megan Massion thinks the Skim Reaper would be a great investment for retailers.

“They can check throughout the day and make sure no one’s info or cards are being compromised,” Massion said.

Traynor wants to get the Skim Reaper to everyone -- consumers, merchants, banks, state inspectors and law enforcement.

“The goal is all in one, easy to carry, something you just intuitively use every time you go to a pump, ATM, restaurant or big box store,” Traynor said.

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Traynor said Alachua County deputies and the New York Police Department have been testing out the Skim Reaper for the last few weeks.

So what's next? Making the entire device sleeker, around the size of a credit card.

“That's the end goal is to make this portable as possible. I’ve already started to work on the production of that and that model is on its way,” Peeters said.

Plus, getting the Skim Reaper manufactured in hopes of putting skimming scammers out of business.

“Soon as someone sees this report, they are going to be working on a way to get around it,” Scaife said.

Tenikka Hughes: “Do you think they will?”

Scaife: “I don’t.”

Traynor said the NYPD was able to locate a skimmer on an ATM using the device. Traynor said he’s filed for a patent for the Skim Reaper.

Click here for resources from the Federal Trade Commission on keeping your credit card information safe.

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Here are tips from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services on how to protect yourself from skimmers at the gas pumps.
·        Pay in cash inside the store to ensure credit card information stays safe.
·        Check to make sure the gas pump dispenser cabinet is closed and has not been tampered with.
·        Use a gas pump closer to the front of the store. Thieves often place skimmers at the gas pumps farther away from the store.
·        Use a credit card instead of a debit card. Credit cards have better fraud protection and the money is not deducted immediately from an account.
·        If using a debit card at the pump, choose to run it as a credit card instead of putting a PIN number in. That way, the PIN number is safe.
·        Monitor bank accounts regularly to spot any unauthorized charges.
·        Consumers who suspect their credit card number has been compromised should report it immediately to authorities and their credit card company.

Cox Media Group