Verifone tamper detection patent targets skimming at unattended terminals

Verifone has been granted a US patent for wireless security technology that enables payment terminals to monitor themselves for signs of physical tampering. The Verifone tamper detection patent is aimed at unattended devices, including gas pumps, self-checkout lanes and outdoor kiosks, where criminals may try to install hidden hardware or card skimmers.

The company said the technology is designed to identify changes in a terminal’s physical environment, including threats that may not be visible during routine inspection. Verifone described the system as one that teaches a terminal what its normal surroundings look and feel like, then flags changes that appear suspicious or unnatural.

The patent comes as skimming remains a cost for consumers, merchants and financial institutions. Card skimming costs US consumers and financial institutions about $1 billion a year, according to figures cited by Verifone. FICO data cited by the company showed skimming incidents rose 5% in 2025.

How does Verifone tamper detection work?

Verifone said its Wireless Tamper Detection technology uses radio signals to detect changes around a payment terminal. Rather than searching for one known attack method, the system is intended to recognise when the terminal’s environment has changed in a way that could indicate interference.

That distinction matters for unattended payment points. Devices in public or semi-public locations can be exposed for long periods, and a compromised terminal may continue to process legitimate transactions while collecting card data through an illicit add-on or internal modification.

Will Morgan, Verifone’s chief information security officer, said the company approached the problem by asking a terminal to recognise suspicious changes in its own physical environment, rather than detect a specific attack. “A radio can pick up on a change that a person walking by would never see, and it can do that continuously, without any extra parts,” Morgan said.

In practical terms, the system is designed to create a baseline for the terminal’s normal state and compare subsequent readings against it. If an attached object, inserted component or other physical change alters the radio environment, the terminal could identify the variation as abnormal.

Why unattended payment devices are exposed

Gas pumps, self-service checkout machines and outdoor kiosks are widely used because they reduce staffing needs and keep transactions available outside conventional service hours. Their accessibility also makes them targets for attackers who can approach the hardware without a cashier or branch employee present.

Card skimming typically involves adding or inserting a device that captures payment credentials during an otherwise routine transaction. Verifone’s patent addresses that risk through continuous self-monitoring by the terminal, according to the company, rather than relying only on periodic inspection by staff.

Verifone has not disclosed commercial deployment details in the announcement cited. The patent indicates a direction of investment in terminal-level security as payment companies and merchants try to reduce fraud risk across distributed retail infrastructure.

This story draws on original reporting from Finextra Research.