News

EAST releases crime stats for European ATMs

March 25, 2014

The European ATM Security Team has published its first European Fraud Update for 2014. The update includes country crime data provided by representatives of 16 countries in the single euro payments area, as well as three non-SEPA countries.

Sixteen countries reported skimming at ATMs; seven reported decreases and six reported increases. Skimming devices are getting smaller and more difficult to spot.

Most ATM-related skimming losses have migrated away from EMV chip liability shift areas. Losses were reported in 40 countries and territories outside SEPA, as well as three within SEPA.

The U.S. is still the No. 1 location for losses, followed by Thailand and Vietnam. From the perspective of European card issuers, the Asia-Pacific region seems to have eclipsed Latin America for losses. European fraud countermeasures such as geo-blocking, fraud monitoring capabilities and fraud detection continue to improve.

Additional crime facts:

• 11 countries reported skimming attacks on terminal types other than ATMs — including, for the first time, attacks on unattended payment terminals at car wash locations;
• 14 countries reported cash-trapping incidents, and two reported related arrests;
• eight countries reported transaction reversal fraud incidents;
• cash claw use continues for trapping and reversal fraud — a new double-edged variant has been seen for the first time;
• seven countries reported card-trapping incidents using spring traps;
• nine countries reported ram raids and ATM burglary;
• nine countries reported explosive gas attacks; and
• two countries reported attacks on ATMs using solid explosives.

The overall rise in explosive attacks in Europe appears to be continuing. EAST will publish statistics for these in its European ATM Crime Report for 2013 scheduled for publication in April 2014.