Fraud detection system and method

A system for detecting a foreign object, comprising:

• a first sensor mounted adjacent to a bezel for a magnetic card reader device, the first sensor providing a first signal that varies when a foreign object is placed adjacent to an exterior portion of the bezel;
• a second sensor mounted adjacent to the bezel, the second sensor providing a second signal that varies when a foreign object is placed adjacent to the exterior portion of the bezel, the second sensor operating according to a different technology than the first sensor;
• a third sensor mounted adjacent to the bezel, the third sensor providing a third signal that varies when a foreign object is placed adjacent to the exterior portion of the bezel, the third sensor operating according to a different technology than the first sensor and the second sensor;
• and
• a controller coupled to the first sensor, the second sensor, and the third sensor, the controller configured to receive the first signal, the second signal, and the third signal, to determine when the first signal differs from a first predetermined baseline signal by at least a first predetermined threshold, the second signal differs from a second predetermined baseline signal by at least a second predetermined threshold, and the third signal differs from a third predetermined baseline signal by a third predetermined threshold, and to generate an alarm signal the alarm signal indicating that a foreign object has been detected when at least two of the first signal, the second signal, and the third signal differ from the associated predetermined baseline signals by at least the associated predetermined thresholds.

A system for detecting a foreign object, comprising:

• a first sensor mounted adjacent to a bezel for a magnetic card reader device, the first sensor providing a first signal that varies when a foreign object is placed adjacent to an exterior portion of the bezel;
• a second sensor mounted adjacent to the bezel, the second sensor providing a second signal that varies when a foreign object is placed adjacent to the exterior portion of the bezel, the second sensor operating according to a different technology than the first sensor;
• a third sensor mounted adjacent to the bezel, the third sensor providing a third signal that varies when a foreign object is placed adjacent to the exterior portion of the bezel, the third sensor operating according to a different technology than the first sensor and the second sensor;
• a fourth sensor mounted adjacent to the bezel, the fourth sensor providing a fourth signal that varies when a foreign object is placed adjacent to the exterior portion of the bezel, the fourth sensor operating according to a different technology than the first sensor, the second sensor, and the third sensor;
• and
• a controller coupled to the first sensor, the second sensor, the third sensor, and the fourth sensor, the controller configured to receive the first signal, the second signal, the third signal, and the fourth signal, to determine when the first signal differs from a first predetermined baseline signal by at least a first predetermined threshold, the second signal differs from a second predetermined baseline signal by at least a second predetermined threshold, the third signal differs from a third predetermined baseline signal by a third predetermined threshold, and the fourth signal differs from a fourth predetermined baseline signal by a fourth predetermined threshold, and to generate an alarm signal the alarm signal indicating that a foreign object has been detected when at least three of the first signal, the second signal, the third signal, and the fourth signal differ from the associated predetermined baseline signals by at least the associated predetermined thresholds.

A method for detecting a foreign object placed adjacent to a bezel for a magnetic card reader device, comprising the steps of:

• calibrating each of at least two sensors mounted adjacent to a bezel for a magnetic card reader device to determine an associated baseline level for each of the at least two sensors, each of the at least two sensors providing an associated measurement signal that varies when a foreign object is placed adjacent to the bezel, each of the at least two sensors operating according to a different technology than the others of the at least two sensors;
• monitoring the measurement signals from each of the at least two sensors;
• and
• generating an alarm signal indicating that a foreign object has been detected adjacent to the bezel when a majority of the measurement signals from the at least two sensors differ from associated baseline levels by at least associated predetermined thresholds.