Fraud detection

A system for fraud detection in a Reverse Vending Machine, said system comprises:

• at least one radiation emitting device configured to emit radiation within the wavelength range of optical radiation for illuminating an area of said a food or beverage container being received by said reverse vending machine, which area contains a validation mark and a background around said validation mark, wherein said validation mark is a security mark and/or a barcode;
• at least one radiation detection device configured to detect radiation emitted from said at least one radiation emitting device and subsequently reflected at said food or beverage container, and/or emitted from said at least one radiation emitting device and subsequently transmitted through said food or beverage container and/or detecting radiation emitted from said food or beverage container in response to said illumination by said radiation detecting device;
• at least one processing unit in communication with said at least one radiation detecting device, wherein the at least one processing unit is configured to:
• receive information corresponding to the detected radiation from said at least one radiation detecting device;
• identify a validation area on said container, which validation area contains said validation mark and said background around said validation mark;
• analyzing said information corresponding to the detected radiation to determine the existence of additional radiation emitted from said background, which additional radiation is not received from valid food or beverage containers;
• and
• upon determination of the existence of said additional radiation classify said food or beverage container as fraudulent;
• read the validation mark contained in said validation area by use of barcode decoding, and/or by use of character recognition and/or letter recognition and/or pattern recognition, and optionally;
• upon a successful reading of the validation mark classify said food or beverage container as potentially valid.