HARTLAND, Wis. –A credit union here has partnered with students at a local high school to develop anti-skimming devices that it has now purchased and installed on its machines.

Landmark Credit Union joined with students in Arrowhead Union High School’s Warhawk Engineering and Manufacturing Department in September 2024 and explained it was looking to upgrade its outdoor ATMs to stop crooks from placing cameras on its machines, according to Fox6 News.

Senior Gavin Dai led the class project this year, the report noted.

“The idea was they wanted us to create a cover for them that would help prevent these criminals from getting the PIN codes people were putting in,” Dai told Fox6 News. “I think the whole like, design and applying the design to the real world was one of the biggest things I learned.”

Dozens of Problems

According to the report, there were dozens of smaller problems the team had to solve, and the students went through several prototypes before landing on a final design.

“Then they built the protectors in their classroom workshop, from laser-cutting the metal to bending it into place,” Fox6 News reported. “Students developed a PIN pad protector that successfully offers privacy when someone enters a PIN at an outside ATM. The final design was chosen for its functionality, durability and ease of installation.”

75 Units Purchased

Landmark Credit Union was happy enough with the prototype that it bought 75 units from the class. It also donated $10,000 to the high school that will go toward a general scholarship fund for these students.

This is the second year Landmark has worked with the class. Last year’s project was to update signature pad mounts for Landmark’s teller stations, Fox6 News said.