card scaning

[Highbanked Hauler]

 I heard recently that there is technology to scan your magnetic strip cards right in your wallet. Anybody else heard this?  The  way to combat this is use an aluminum wallet and all it takes is once and you are screwed.  A while ago I heard that when you use your remote lock to lock your car thieves  can record the code and get into your car. This may be ancient news to most but damn  isn't technology great...

[Chryco Psycho]

the Wifi cards can be scanned just walking down the street , seen videos of it being done

[Dodge Don]

I work in the payments industry and I can tell you this is not accurate at all.

The fact is yes an RFID card (MasterCard PayPass or Visa Paywave) can be scanned if the reader is within 1/4 inch of the card however the data obtained CANNOT be used to commit fraud or create a counterfeit card. There are numerous pieces of data that are needed cannot be obtained.

This myth is being fueled by a guy who has created a company to sell you a sleeve to cover RFID enabled cards to "protect" you....this is simply a sales effort playining up this untrue fear.

[Highbanked Hauler]

I work in the payments industry and I can tell you this is not accurate at all.

The fact is yes an RFID card (MasterCard PayPass or Visa Paywave) can be scanned if the reader is within 1/4 inch of the card however the data obtained CANNOT be used to commit fraud or create a counterfeit card. There are numerous pieces of data that are needed cannot be obtained.

This myth is being fueled by a guy who has created a company to sell you a sleeve to cover RFID enabled cards to "protect" you....this is simply a sales effort playining up this untrue fear.

    if you are right, I stand corrected, With all the stuff I here about  c-cards and and stolen information I get a little jumpy about ID theft..

[nvrbdn]

good info dodge don. what about the reports about thiefs putting some kind of reader in gas pump swipes where you put the card in and it copies your card. is this true or is it fake also?? when you are out here in the wild you hear all kinds of rumors.

[oldcarnut]

http://www.sileo.com/sileo-deflates-epickpocketing-hype-on-fox-friends/

[Fred]

good info dodge don. what about the reports about thiefs putting some kind of reader in gas pump swipes where you put the card in and it copies your card. is this true or is it fake also?? when you are out here in the wild you hear all kinds of rumors.

Definitely true. These are highly organised gangs and they know what the're doing. It's also wide spread here in Australia with ATM's being a particular favourite target.
It's just crazy how careful we have to be these days and even then,we're still at risk.  

[doctor4766]

Went to my local supermarket the other day and handed my Mastercard to the checkout chick intending to pay on my savings account.
She just ran my card by the scanner and before I could even select which account I wanted to pay with, the transaction was completed (charged to credit) without me even having to key a PIN.
Was a little annoyed about that but it got me to thinking how the security of having at least a PIN was now lost if the transaction is less the $100
Doesn't take a brain surgeon to realise that if you dropped your wallet at a shopping centre, before you even realise it there could have been several hundred dollars worth of purchases made.

[BrianShaughnessy]

Went to my local supermarket the other day and handed my Mastercard to the checkout chick intending to pay on my savings account.
She just ran my card by the scanner and before I could even select which account I wanted to pay with, the transaction was completed (charged to credit) without me even having to key a PIN.
Was a little annoyed about that but it got me to thinking how the security of having at least a PIN was now lost if the transaction is less the $100
Doesn't take a brain surgeon to realise that if you dropped your wallet at a shopping centre, before you even realise it there could have been several hundred dollars worth of purchases made.

Recent changes have made it so you don't have to sign the CC receipt for purchases under $25 at some businesses.  So you just swipe and it charges it.  It's a little less hassle but a whole lot less safe IMHO.   Fast food places do this a lot...  with the math whizzes they employ,  they probably make out better at the end of the day.

Meanwhile,  a friend of mine writes SEE ID on the back of his CC...  I guess that's pretty much useless.  http://www.creditcards.com/credit-card-news/sign-or-write-see-ID-1282.php

[Dodge Don]

Yes there are devices that can be inserted into Automated Fuel Pumps or ATMs than can "skim" the data off your magnetic stripe. This is called skimming and is the primary way crooks get data to counterfeit a magnetic stripe card. This is why most of the world has moved to chip cards which cannot be counterfeited. The US is pretty much the last area not yet migrating to chip. It will happen, but they will be last to the party.

The signature has long since been a useless fraud prevention tool. For small $ transactions the signature is no longer required. In most of the world that has moved to chip cards the signature requirement is a distant memory.

There is little to no fraud on RFID contactless transactions (they cannot be counterfeited....they use a chip in the card)...yes the card can be lost or stolen which is very rare and it is important to know that it is the card issuing Bank that assumes the risk....not you. All cardholders are protected by zero-liability rules that MasterCard and Visa mandate.

Bottom line....you the cardholder are fully protected by zero-liability and are not liable for any fraud on your card....that risk falls to the Bank.

If you want to be scared about something.....PayPal......all they use is an e-mail address as a user ID and a password. You'd be shocked at how many people use the exact same addy and PW on message boards like this one. Message boards are not secured against hacking since there isn't much to get....but they can get the addy and PW and try it on PayPal and bingo they are into your account. Make sure your PayPal ID data is unique!!

[nvrbdn]

my son went to chicago for a weekend and went out to eat at a nice restaurant. after the meal he paid with his debit card. by the time he got back to his hotel he received a call saying his card was trying to be used in mexico to buy perfume. within 15 minutes the # was in someones hands in mexico. they work fast.

[Dodge Don]

my son went to chicago for a weekend and went out to eat at a nice restaurant. after the meal he paid with his debit card. by the time he got back to his hotel he received a call saying his card was trying to be used in mexico to buy perfume. within 15 minutes the # was in someones hands in mexico. they work fast.

They are fast...but not that fast. Likely they got his card data weeks or months earlier.