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Skimmer Scanner turns tech tables on fraudsters

November 26, 2017

Spark Fun, a tech company, has developed a mobile app to help consumers determine whether a gas pump has been outfitted with a card skimmer.

According to the company's blog, founder Nate Seidel worked with law enforcement in Colorado to reverse-engineer a skimming device used in gas station fuel pumps.

"Turns out, the hardware found in some Colorado gas pumps is used by fraudsters nationwide, and can be detected via Bluetooth," the blog said.

The Skimmer Scanner app — available for Android devices — allows the user to look for suspicious Bluetooth signals before using a payment card at the pump.

If the app detects anything suspicious, the mobile phone displays the following message:

Probable Skimmer Found

The scan found a device that not only uses a common radio module for skimmers, but replied to queries in a way that suggests that it's running skimmer firmware. Skip this gas pump.

The app has been downloaded more than 38,000 times, according to the blog.