Local Credit Card Scam

[Akarin]

Thanks for the alert! Too bad it's happening here in paradise

It's rampant in South Florida and it seems to have moved up here because too many people have caught on down there. Chances are that the stolen cards are coming from "skimmers" when you use your card at an ATM or gas pump. I do the following to protect myself:

1. Use those devices in well trafficked areas. Skimmers are harder to install under the watchful eyes of a store clerk or at a busy intersection.
2. If something looks weird on the ATM like a new sign or additional mirror, go somewhere else because a camera may be present to steal your PIN.
3. If buttons are hard to push, there may be a keypad overlay stealing your PIN instead of a hidden cameras
4. If the credit card slot is a manual slider instead of one that sucks in the whole card (although these can be skimmed too), look at the receiver part to see if it looks out of place, too bulky, or loose if you can wiggle it. If so then go somewhere else. There could be a skimmer installed over the bank's card reader which stores your card info on it's way in to the bank's reader... which is how they get the name "skimmer"

If they are getting on to an unlocked wifi in Publix, then they are getting the cards from the Publix computers/registers and not directly from you so there really isn't anything you can do about it except call your bank's fraud department (this scenario was a big true story in South Florida).

Can computer hackers get your credit card info from your computer... yes if you store it on there which you should not do anyways or by a virus which is whole other discussion. But personal one on one attacks are rare because the risk vs reward isn't great enough. If hackers have the know how to steal cards, then they do it in mass batches over computer networks and rob databases. This requires a lot of skill. On the flip side, skimmers are a relatively low tech/high reward device which does not require a lot of skill.

I hope this info helps someone!

 

[NotDeadYet]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLAFhTjsQHw&feature=share

The Sheriff posted this link on fb. In my humble opinion, the banks should dump this technology and the sooner the better. But, they are defending it in the news media.

 

[Jdarg]

Apparently this is happening all over the country, according the national news. Anyone can go online and purchase these card scanners. The scammer pops the card reader out of the gas pump and pops in the purchased scanner, unbeknownst to the customer- they look the same. The news story suggested wiggling the card scanner on the pump- if it seems too wiggly or loose, don't use it. Of course they said the best thing to do is go inside to pay with card or cash- don't pay at the pump.

 

[NotDeadYet]

Did you watch the video, jdarg? You don't even need to use your card to get the info from it hacked.
The more I think about this, the more pissed off I get. I'm sure our sheriff has better things to do with his time these days, and the folks ripped off likewise.
What, swiping the card was too much trouble, now you can just wave it to make a purchase? I'm thinking the banks thought this would increase credit card purchases, thereby increasing their profits, and now they are defending an obviously flawed technology.
If the rfid reader is how these scams are being done here, you can see why the Seaside marathon was such an attractive place to use it, all those people close together. Same thing with the Thumb and the Publix, two places where it's easy to get close to people walking around with all those cards in their wallets. Why bother changing out the scanner on the pump when all you have to do is walk around waving your rfid defice at people?
Grrr.

 

[AirRocker]

My card (which was stolen locally) did not have an RFID chip.

 

[NotDeadYet]

My card (which was stolen locally) did not have an RFID chip.

Yes, I have heard that. I think there is more than one scam happening. Was it a MasterCard? I know someone who got a call from Master Card about a suspicious transaction that was actually okay, but MC told him some of their data had been compromised and they sent him a new card.
What I am curious about Air Rocker, is how you know where it was stolen??

 

[AirRocker]

Yes, I have heard that. I think there is more than one scam happening. Was it a MasterCard? I know someone who got a call from Master Card about a suspicious transaction that was actually okay, but MC told him some of their data had been compromised and they sent him a new card.
What I am curious about Air Rocker, is how you know where it was stolen??

Yes, it was a MC Check Card.

I don't know where it was stolen... I just meant that it was caught up in the same scam that other locals are dealing with. They did attempt to use the stolen numbers locally though (at the Winn Dixie in Miramar Beach).

 

[NotDeadYet]

Thanks.
I may become one of those people who slows down the whole line writing a check.

 

[Akarin]

Thanks.
I may become one of those people who slows down the whole line writing a check.

Yeah that's the RFID digital pick pocketing.

They say that even though criminals get the card, expiration, and printed CVV number, it is supposed to be too difficult to clone because a) there is a transaction related cyptogram that is not stored on the card and b) there is a dynamic CVV number (different than the one on the card) generated and stored at the bank created after each transaction so that number always rotates. "A cloned card cannot be made" is what the "experts" (the people that sold the technology to the banks) say. :scratch:

Like anything that involves money and criminals, someone will figure a way around that eventually. I'm with you on writing checks!

 

[Zebraspots]

Check writing tells them your bank account number and bank and they can use that info to make purchases too. Also tells them your address, zip code, and (if you are dumb enough to print it on there) your driver's license number.

Cash is apparently the way to go.