Major British Retailer Deploys ATMs With Catch-A-Thief Taggant Technology

Forensics specialist SmartWater (no connection to the Coca-Cola product) has teamed up with Co-Operative, a major retailer and ATM operator in the United Kingdom, to outfit its ATMs with a crime-fighting detection system. To deter crime, SmartWater has adapted its dispersal technology to fit standard ATMs. As a result, criminals and stolen cash will be stained by a liquid forensic marker regardless of how an ATM is attacked.

Specific details about the retrofit and just how the technology works are now being kept under wraps for security reasons. However, the concept is simple. During a robbery, the dispersal system automatically splashes the cash and criminal with a forensic marker, called a taggant. That mark can place the criminal at the scene of the crime, and identify the stolen cash. While invisible to the naked eye, the long-lasting signature is detectable for up to five years, and can even withstand an explosion.

"This technical development represents a serious upgrade in the security of ATMs as SmartWater products have helped convict hundreds of criminals worldwide and retains a 100% track record in court," said SmartWater chief executive and cofounder Phil Cleary.

While this is the first use of the taggants in an ATM application, law enforcement agencies around the world have been using them in handheld dispersal units for years. According to SmartWater, a major American law enforcement agency is set to announce adoption of the technology. Whether the traceable forensic technology will come to the American ATM industry remains to be seen. But the concept holds promise for an industry that has witnessed an uptick in attacks in recent years.

FAIR WARNING:A major UK retailer is hoping its ATMs equipped with SmartWater taggant technology will both deter criminals and help catch those foolish enough to try any funny business.