Media Release: Owen Sound Police Service (July 19, 2010)

The Owen Sound Police Service is launching their new “Stick It To Crime” crime prevention initiative.

The strategy is designed to prevent the rapidly increasing incidents of fraud, committed through the theft of electronic information from personal banking and credit cards, at point of sale terminals (debit pin pads).

Fraudsters are very skilled and quick at installing “skimming” devices inside the point of sale terminals or changing out the entire terminal with an identical clone terminal. The compromised terminals continue to operate properly and often go undetected by the merchant. The fraudster will return after a period of time and retrieve their installed devices, now full of personal electronic banking information. The information is used to fraudulently withdraw funds from accounts.

The “Stick It To Crime” program places a serial numbered security seal on the terminal in a location which makes it impossible to insert skimming devices without damaging the seal or insert a clone terminal containing the same security seal. The seal cannot be removed and re-applied. The seal noticeably changes appearance and indicates “VOID” once removed.

The Owen Sound Police Service is working cooperatively with the Owen Sound Downtown Improvement Area (DIA) to roll out the first phase of the initiative to the downtown merchants before expanding the initiative across the city.

The security seals will be managed by the Owen Sound Police Service in cooperation with local business owners.

The Owen Sound Police Service is committed to preventing all types of crime, including fraud. The “Stick It To Crime” initiative offers both the merchant and customer enhanced protection against fraud.

The official launch of the program will take place tomorrow (Tuesday July 20, 2010)  at 10:00 a.m. at “The Rocking Horse” store, downtown Owen Sound.