Fuel dispenser security is of great concern for the convenience store industry. Approximately 39 million Americans fill up their gas tanks every day and fuel dispensers have become one of many targets for thieves looking to steal credit and debit card information by “skimming,” an aggressive tactic used to illegally obtain consumer card data for fraudulent purposes.
NACS and The Pinnacle Corp. are helping convenience store operators enhance fuel dispenser security and combat skimming through a new mobile solution: the SkimDefend app.
The app works in tandem with tamper-evident NACS WeCare decals, which help retailers identify potential security breaches when devices are opened to install skimming devices at fuel dispensers or other unattended PIN-entry devices.
With the SkimDefend app, store operators scan the code at each pump location where a NACS WeCare decal is applied, or enter label numbers manually. Decal usage may also be considered at other locations such as ATMs, car wash controllers, network cabinets and PCs.
“By teaming up with Pinnacle, NACS is able to help convenience store operators combat skimming at the dispenser, and anywhere else hardware is at potential risk. NACS members, and especially our WeCare decal users, are encouraged to take advantage of this app while it is free, and help us enhance the power of SkimDefend by sharing usage experiences,” said Doug Spencer, director of products and services at NACS.
There are two main functions of the SkimDefend app:
- To register NACS WeCare decals, their physical locations and capture their GPS coordinates.
- To verify that NACS WeCare decals have not been tampered with, and if one has, the app allows store operators can record information and take pictures of what they encountered.
The SkimDefend app creates a virtual tracking mechanism that helps store operators monitor fuel pumps, as well as help provide forensic evidence should a skimming incident occur. The app also helps combat thieves who purchase and/or counterfeit tamper-evident labels by tracking only legitimately purchased decals.
Convenience store operators can download the SkimDefend app free of charge for Apple and Android mobile devices, and the NACS WeCare decals can be purchased at nacsonline.com/wecare.
