Skimming and magnetic read prevention

A method comprising:

• detecting a presence of a card adjacent to or within a card slot of a card reader;
• activating an electromagnetic noise signal in response to the detecting;
• preventing by the electromagnetic noise signal a magnetic read head of the card reader and any skimmer present in the card reader from reading a magnetic strip of the card as long as the card remains within the card reader;
• and
• forcing the card reader to use a chip reader to read card data from the card off of an embedded chip in the card;
• wherein the electromagnetic noise signal creates electromagnetic interference preventing both the magnetic read head and any skimmer from reading the magnetic strip for an entire duration in which the card is within the card slot and the card reader wherein the electromagnetic noise signal is produced by a pulsating coil that is either in contact with or adjacent to the magnetic read head, and wherein the pulsating coil creates electromagnetic interference preventing both the magnetic read head and any skimmer from reading the magnetic strip;
• wherein the electromagnetic noise signal is continuously maintained as long as the card reader is receiving power, regardless of whether a card is present, such that the magnetic read head is rendered inoperative to read magnetic stripe data at all times when the card reader is powered on, thereby forcing all card data reading to occur via the chip reader.

A system comprising:

• a terminal;
• an electromagnetic noise generator;
• and
• a card reader that comprises:
• a magnetic card reader;
• a chip card reader;
• sensors;
• a processor;
• and
• a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that comprises executable instructions for firmware;
• wherein the firmware when executed by the processor from the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium causes the processor to perform operations comprising:
• detecting a presence of a card using at least one sensor of a plurality of sensors;
• activating the electromagnetic noise generator within the card reader in response to detecting the presence of the card;
• and
• maintaining an electromagnetic noise signal until the sensors detect the card exiting a card slot of the card reader;
• wherein the electromagnetic noise generator generates an electromagnetic noise signal within the card reader preventing the magnetic card reader from reading card data off the card, and forcing the chip card reader to read the card data of an embedded chip of the card, and preventing any skimmer present in the card reader from reading the card data off a magnetic strip of the card;
• wherein the electromagnetic noise signal is maintained for an entire duration in which the card is within the card slot and the card reader to create electromagnetic interference that prevents both the magnetic card reader and any skimmer from reading the magnetic strip;
• wherein the electromagnetic noise signal is continuously maintained as long as the card reader is receiving power, regardless of whether a card is present, such that the magnetic card reader is rendered inoperative to read magnetic stripe data at all times when the card reader is powered on, thereby forcing all card data reading to occur via the chip card reader;
• wherein the electromagnetic noise generator is a pulsating coil that is either in contact with or adjacent to the magnetic card reader, and wherein the pulsating coil creates electromagnetic interference preventing both the magnetic card reader and any skimmer from reading the magnetic strip.