TMG to Arm Client ATMs with Anti-Skimming Technology

(Des Moines, Iowa – Sept. 21, 2010) – To address the dramatic, worldwide increase in ATM skimming attacks, card processor The Members Group (TMG) has completed an agreement with ADT Security Services to arm TMG clients’ ATMs against this growing and costly ATM security fraud pattern. 

ADT Anti-Skim™ ATM Security Solutions will be offered to all TMG clients who operate ATM networks. A referral program with ADT Financial Solutions sales representatives will provide members with pre- and post-sales support. Operating out of 220 ADT service locations, the ADT nationwide service network will install and service the devices.

ADT Anti-Skim solutions can offer several layers of protection, which can be deployed independently of one another depending on the type of ATM. One protective layer is a surface sensor device, which detects the presence of a foreign object placed over the ATM’s card-entry slot and can trigger a video surveillance sequence or a silent alarm to ADT Monitoring Centers or to a financial institution’s own command center. Another protective layer – an electronic anti-skim jamming device – uses CPK+ technology to render a skimming device useless.

“Many of our clients operate ATM networks in particularly hard-hit regions,” said Karen Postma, TMG’s senior cards risk manager, referring to the rise in skimming attacks along the East and West Coasts of the U.S. “TMG will introduce this solution on a proactive basis, allowing our clients access to one of the most effective anti-skimming solutions available.”

San Diego-based Mission Federal Credit Union is among the first of TMG clients to deploy the Anti-Skim devices. The $2.1 billion credit union will start using the technology this fall.

“Protecting cardholder data is an absolute priority for us,” said Brenda Link, Mission FCU’s vice president of electronic payment processing. “We did a great deal of research before we decided to invest in the Anti-Skim devices and believe that they will provide us with a real advantage in the ever-evolving fight against fraud.”

According to Postma, ADT Anti-Skim solutions top the list of effective skimming protections, which also includes tactics such as cardholder education, security-guard monitoring and video surveillance.

Postma noted that skimming attacks are rarely reported by financial institutions, adding to skimming’s appeal among fraudsters. If a financial institution opts to connect Anti-Skim with ADT’s command center, reports of these attacks can be documented comprehensively, putting law enforcement in a greatly improved position to shut down crime rings operating in the U.S.

 

About TMG
TMG is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Affiliates Management Company, which is owned by
Iowa credit unions and their members. As a financial and credit union service organization
(CUSO), TMG is dedicated to providing innovative and flexible card processing and payment
solutions to credit unions and financial institutions across North America. TMG’s core products
include credit, debit, ATM and a variety of prepaid solutions, as well as online reporting, ACH and ALM services. TMG’s prepaid card products are branded ATIRA. For more information, visit www.TheMembersGroup.com.

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