did you see the teletext message last night?

[devonwoody]

Shell garages had to shut down their chip and pin operations at their petrol stations owing to a massive fraud? Customers credit cards were being raided.
So it looks to me if you have not lost your card you can be done, and because you think you have your card in your possession you are safe.
things are not getting better?

 

[RogerS]

On doing a little more research here it would suggest that the PIN entry unit had been tampered with but that these were supposed to be tamper resistant. The article then goes on to say that 'it only applies to Shell'....which I find a tad unrealistic since this implies that shell have gobne out and obtained/designed/developed their own special PIN entry unit.

I'd like to think that this were true but common sense suggests that they will have obtained a unit designed/built by someone else and most likely the same unit will have been provided by the developers to other retailers/retail chains. And so anyone using these PIn entry units would be as susceptible to tampering as the Shell units.

I think that they are being a little bit economical with the truth hear since if it is that bad then it puts a huge dent in the so-called 'security' of CHIP n PIN and undermines everything that they were saying re improved security etc etc.

EDIT: A BP garage in Worcester has also been involved in a scam. This time someone working in the garage installed a device to clone the magnetic strip off the card and then also pointed a security camera at the PIN pad and video'd every PIN entered.

 

[RogerS]

I came across this fascinating story regarding PINS and phantom withdrawals. What it doesn't say is whether the problem has been fixed !

There is another interesting thread going on at Which where one forum member advocates registering your thumbprint at the three main credit reference agencies with instructions to the effect that all credit application documents for him are invalid unless they bear his thumbprint. Pretty effective defence against identity theft and credit fraud.

In Inverness they are running a scheme (with 500 businesses signed up) where credit cards are only accepted in shops with a thumbprint. As a result of this initiative in the first ten months of the scheme, Inverness has seen a reduction in the numbers of incidents involving credit card fraud by a staggering 81.2%. The thefts of handbags, purses and wallets has also reduced by 54.5%.

 

[Neomorph]

Just be wary of shifty people with boltcutturs.... they could steal your thumb too... :shock:

Seriously though I was in my local Lloyds the one day and cops arrested these kids who were hanging around inside the branch as they were attempting to see people entering their pin number. How stupid is that??? let alone the fact that the bank will have had cameras watching them they thought they wouldn't be noticed by users as they leaned up the wall to the side of them?

 

[Richard in Smithville]

We had a few cases over here where a second card reader was set up so that your card was double swiped. Then a hidden camera was set up to sneak a peak at your PIN. A friend had it happen to him. He didn't lose any money; the bank got wind and shut down his card before anyone could fraud his cash out of his account.

 

[Shady]

Just be wary of shifty people with boltcutturs.... they could steal your thumb too...

Without getting too grisly, that one works well in hollywood action flicks, but most electronic print readers (as opposed to the old ink and paper printing) actually 'see' into the thumb/finger a little, and the pattern and flow of blood forms part of the unique signature... So a 'chopped off' one wouldn't be any use. How reassuring!

 

[RogerS]

" 'ere, Ronnie Kray..that fumb didn't work. Try one of them fingers..nah, didn't work eiver'....no.........................don't go there.

Don't even mention iris recognition and criminal tendencies...best not go there either :?

 

[devonwoody]

Just got back from East europe, and I am running scared, pin number entry for fuel at petrol stations was a farce, no security, language problems when something didnt work, and assistance provided!!!!!!!!!!!
No screening from people in queue behind etc.

 

[CHJ]

Just got back from East europe, and I am running scared, pin number entry for fuel at petrol stations was a farce, no security, language problems when something didnt work, and assistance provided!!!!!!!!!!!
No screening from people in queue behind etc.

You can ring the card company and verify your statement charges if it still has some time to go before issue.

Some card companies (Barclaycard for one) are asking you to notify them of your itinerary abroad.
I am not sure if it is to put additional monitoring in place or to avoid invalidating the card on overseas use.

If the latter I can see little gained in security other than enforcing pin use, as my experience to date has been that the pin is not asked for in most garages and stores because their systems are not linked with UK, they just swipe the card for its number.

NEVER LET IT OUT OF YOUR SIGHT so that you have a chance to see rogue swipe action. (just as valid in UK as abroad)

The ATMs we use for cash withdrawl do use pin and do communicate with UK, In fact in one bank we use, it is quite amusing once you are aware of what is about to happen when it spits your card out and re-devours it a couple of times whilst it makes sure that it has got the correct info. for verification.