Europol’s new training course on payment card fraud forensics

From 13 to 17 July 2015 Europol organised a new training course on payment card fraud forensics at the Spanish National Police Academy in Ávila, Spain. The aim of the training was to increase forensic experts' knowledge and expertise in examining skimming devices, and other types of payment fraud forensics.

During the course the 33 participants from various EU Member States were able to learn about techniques to examine seized equipment, new trends and threats compromising card data and PINs in point-of-sale terminals and cash machines (ATMs), as well as some payment card analysis tools. The course also covered ATM logical attacks, especially malware attacks which are a developing threat in the area of payment card fraud.

The majority of course participants were experts in forensically examining skimming equipment and other electronics, while the remainder were cybercrime experts back in their home countries. Six trainers from law enforcement authorities and three from Europol shared their expertise in electronic analysis and cyber forensics. Key private sector experts in payment cards, cybersecurity and banking took part in the training, delivering presentations and workshops, helping to create synergies between the private and public sectors. 

The National Commissioner of Scientific Police of the Spanish Policia Nacional, Mrs Pilar Allue Blasco, and the Head of the Implementation team of Europol's European Cybercrime Centre (EC3), Manuel Alvarez, both participated in the closing session of the course.

Manuel Alvarez said: "Delivering this type of specialised training helps to build cybercrime knowledge, gained through real operations, and it is also a great opportunity to develop our working relationships with operational partners. This new training course on payment card forensics, organised by Europol's Focal Point Terminal, has been added to our annual catalogue."

Mrs Allue Blasco stressed the willingness of the Spanish Policia Nacional to support EC3 in training forensic experts from EU and non-EU countries. She added: "The fact that our experts are improving their knowledge through this training will allow us to tackle the new challenges that we face every day in this area." As she mentioned during the closure, participants had the opportunity to visit the Central Unit of the Scientific Police in Madrid during the training course.