A NOTTS inventor has developed a PIN (personal identification number) system designed to protect people from cash machine fraud.
Graphic designer Glynn Reynolds, 35, came up with the idea after £7 was taken from his bank account.
Although he managed to cancel his card before too much was stolen, his friend, who lost £200 in a similar incident, was not so lucky.
He said: "It is too easy for people to steal money from you. You don't have to be a sophisticated criminal to steal money from the bank.
"I thought there has got to be a way of stopping this."
Unlike the current system, where users put in their numerical pin code, Glynn's system, called Tri-Pin, has three symbols on each button – a number, colour and a shape.
Their pin code is then made up of a combination of these symbols – for example pink, triangle, nine, diamond.
Each time the user reinserts their card into a machine the shapes and colours get shuffled, meaning that even if anyone saw you enter your pin it would be almost impossible to do it again using the same keys.
Glynn, of Sandringham Road, Mansfield Woodhouse, said: "It would take a bit of getting used to, but if people did it would be as quick as the current system.
"There are thousands and thousands of combinations, so it's unlikely the symbols will be in the same position next time."
Mr Reynolds submitted his idea to the Royal Bank of Scotland, which said that while it would achieve its purpose, it could have other vulnerabilities.
In an email to Mr Reynolds, head of ATM security Ben Birtwhistle said: "Whilst it could happen and generate a secure "peace of mind" for the user, the back-end systems would actually be much more susceptible to attack and the PIN itself more vulnerable. The crime of skimming would likely displace from physical devices at an ATM to that of a systems hack."
Mr Birtwhistle suggested that Glynn's Tri-Pin may have more success in the portable technology industry.
The system is now being integrated into a new One Safe app, which helps secure confidential information such as passwords and bank account details.
Matt Dixon, 36, a colleague of Glynn's at Grapevine Publishing, said: "It seems like quite a good idea. It is so simple that it is almost unbelievable that no one has thought of it before.
"I think it will be really popular."
Mr Reynolds added that if Tri-Pin takes off he would be "immensely proud." He said: "It would be one of the biggest achievements in my life."
