Free Android App that helps you to Detect Credit Card Skimmers at Fuel Pump

Skimmer Scanner Android App Published by Nathan Seidle CEO of sparkfun, it is open source and available to download from Google Play Store for Android users.

Skimmers are essentially malicious card readers that grab the data of the card’s magnetic stripe attached to the real payment terminals so that they can harvest data from every person that swipes their cards.

How does Skimmer Scanner work?

Skimmers are cheap and becoming more common now, basically, it launches a man in the middle attack and listens all the serial traffic passed between credit card readers and save it to external disks.

Later the attackers came to the compromised Fuel pump and connect with Bluetooth and all the information transferred over the air.

Also Read ATM Insert Skimmer | Near look | How to Spot and Avoid

Skimmer Scanner detects common Bluetooth based credit card skimmers that used in Gas Stations, then app used to scan for default password of 1234. Once the connection established letter P will be sent and if the response is M then there is a skimmer with (5 to 15 feet).

Seidle published the app in Google Play and the open source available from GitHub.

Here you can see the Stealthy skimmer being installed and removed, sales video disclosed by ATM Skimmer providers.

Check for Tampering

When you approach an ATM, check for some obvious signs of tampering at the top of the ATM, near the speakers, the side of the screen, the card reader itself, and the keyboard.

If something looks different, such as a different color or material, graphics that aren’t aligned correctly, or anything else that doesn’t look right, don’t use that ATM. The same is true for credit card readers.

There are few steps everyone needs to minimize the skimmer Gang Success

• Cover the PIN pad while you enter your PIN.
• Try to avoid dodgy-looking and standalone cash machines in low-lit areas, if possible.
• Stick to ATMs that are physically installed in a bank. Stand-alone ATMs are usually easier for thieves to hack.
• Be especially vigilant when withdrawing cash on the weekends; thieves tend to install
• skimming devices on a weekend — when they know the bank won’t be open again for more than 24 hours.
• Keep a close eye on your bank statements, and dispute any unauthorized charges or withdrawals immediately.
• If you like this piece of information and like to know learn more skimmers, check out the series provided by kerbs All About Skimmers.