New York police tests ‘Skim Reaper’ tool to curb card skimming
The City of New York Police Department (NYPD) has been testing a gadget that can check ATMs and pumps for possible skimmers.
Called the ‘Skim Reaper’, it resembles a long credit card that can be slid into a card slot. It is connected by a wire to a box with a screen that flashes “possible skimmer” when a skimming device is detected.
The US$ 50 gadget was invented by Patrick Traynor, a computer information science and engineering professor at University of Florida, and two graduate students.
“I’ve been doing skimming for approximately five years now and I have never used anything like this,” said NYPD Detective James Lilla.
The U.S. Secret Service estimates that more than a billion dollars is being stolen from consumers every year by skimmers.
