Cell Phone Jammers As A Skimming Control

Lets Japan points out that a Japanese bank has begun to deploy cellphone jammers near their ATMs to prevent skimming attempts that are increasingly using SMS messages from a cellular phone equipped reader device to phone home.

According to Lets Japan, "Chiba Bank installed phone signal-jamming devices at 4 unmanned ATMs at bank branches in the Tokyo metropolitan area Dec. 10. It is the first use of the device in a financial institution in Japan."

This isn't likely to occur legitimately in the US due to the Communications Act - the FCC rule can be seen here, and notes that, "Fines for a first offense can range as high as $11,000 for each violation or imprisonment for up to one year, and the device used may also be seized and forfeited to the U.S. government."