Emirates Bank fits new security device in ATMs

Dubai: Emirates Bank yesterday said it had fitted all its ATMs with Fraudulent Device Inhibitors (FDI) - the latest fraud-prevention measure for ATMs, in a bid to promote safer banking.

Louis Scotto, general manager (retail banking) of Emirates Bank, said, "Emirates Bank takes security and safety of its clients' accounts very seriously and strives to provide its customers with safer banking.

"The fitting of the FDI will serve to maintain the high level of trust which consumers place in self-service by helping to combat fraud."

Emirates Bank's decision to fit the NCR-developed FDI - a protruding, illuminated hardware adopted worldwide which makes it difficult for criminals to attach foreign devices on or around the card reader - comes in response to the recent rise in ATM fraud in the UAE which was first detected by Emirates Bank in May.

Many banks in the UAE have seen criminal attempts to skim card details by attaching devices to ATMs which can then be used to read information on magnetic stripes.

At Emirates Bank's ATMs such problems will now be combated by the FDI device.

In addition to card skimming, the FDI defends against card swapping, which occurs when card-trapping devices are installed on ATMs to hold the cards in machines.