How are criminals able to access credit or debit card numbers?

Most of it is done through good old fashioned card skimming and otherwise compromised POS card reader terminals. A good number also get stolen by various blackhat hackers working their way into online databases and dumping transaction lists. Then there is the ever-present malware which is designed specifically to attack individual computer users, infect their machines, and steal any financial data saved to their hard drive. Other common methods include dumpster diving for monthly statements and crooked restaurant employees simply writing down the numbers when you hand it to them to go run your bill.

There are many ways of stealing your credit card number and there are many ways to protect it from being stolen.Do not hand your card to anyone for a purchase.Computer hackers get into data bases on the internet.I was in New York City and had my credit stolen.I checked my card when I returned home to find a $2800.00 charge on it.This transaction was from my card number being stolen where I was staying at a hotel.I reported it to the police and they told me this was a regular thing in the Big Apple.How do you like that answer?Have your credit card company call you when a charge over a certain amount.Now you know why credit card interest can be 20% or more.This is just another business in the USA.Check you card a least weekly.

I got caught with a TXT message saying I’d won a prize in the local supermarket monthly draw I’d entered.

Entered the code in its website - I’d won a smartphone for $1. Choose model and colour, checking, yes available. Taken to on-line checkout. Delivery address, email and phone. Then to credit card form to pay $1 - enter number and security code.

Everything exactly like every other on-line purchase until then. But no invoice, instead an email with a discounted $1 music subscription. Damn! But only $1 so I didn’t worry too much.

Until two days later a $75 renewal was charged to my account. I emailed asking for a refund. They said no because I was past the three day grace period. Several emails got me nowhere but another $75 renewal was charged. Every email ended “I hope you are doing great.”

Went to the Bank. They knew all about that scam, gave me a new card and reversed everything. Told me the TXT message wasn’t from my supermarket.

The scammers can’t get any money out of me but they keep sending me emails. One apparently from my local courier company saying I wasn’t home to receive the phone. Click for delivery. Over the last 2 months a dozen or more apparently from other local retailers saying I’ve won prizes - often two or three in a day. All from spoofed addresses.

There’s only one way I could have spotted it was a scam, by ringing the supermarket to check if I’d really won. But I shop there all the time and often enter their draws, so why would I be suspicious?

Update:

5 months later I got a repeat TXT message - this time a 2nd prize in an Easter draw I didn’t enter for. Very cautiously I opened the URL in the text (no Google results for it, but WhoIs says its owned in Poland) and this is what I found, the same screen that I had last time but for 2nd prize no choice of models, only colours:

The fact I’d reported them and the Bank had recovered my money the first time doesn’t stop them trying.

A lot of times when you don’t realize that you’re getting a scammer information that they put complete track on your likes and dislikes your family where you live and without realizing it you do give them information. A big one would be your date of birth, them knowing exactly when you were born Your full name because you’re not hiding who you are even though they’re hiding who they are. So always have caution in the wind when talking to these men and women because you don’t know who you’re really talking to. They’re just trying to rob you blind regardless because they are narcissists And all they want is your mighty Dollar

Very easy.

Just intercept a telephone line in duplex with a store that you know has a card reader over the telephone for clearance.

Split both lines and record the data on a chip, and hey presto.

Where you will get caught out is when the shop can’t make a transaction and the card clearing centre can’t receive a signal, also when the telecoms monitoring system records the line been broken.

Also have you seen the wiring loom of a telephone junction box in the street (the large green cabinets?

Literally thousands of little cables and unless you are telecoms engineer not know which to cut without blowing yourself up (actually the current is quite high although the voltage low, but could give you more than a “nasty burn”.

I hope you are not colour blind ! -:)

In any case the card central controls will notice the interference with the machine itself and “freak transactions” and probably de-activate it from their side as well as notify the retailer.

The other way of course is to ask the cardholder -:)

However, I am sure they will find it suspicious and not give you the details and report it to the Police.

Happy prison sentence.

There are many ways your information can be stolen from your credit card.

1. Through hardware skimming machine installed to the card swiping machine.( check for extra protruding swiping device, generally looks bit abnormal)
2. Hacking your computer where you have sored your credit card details(have a good password and dont downloand any unknown applications)
3. phishing where you will be sent a fake mail and asked to fill your details in a fake website posing as genuine website{ check the spelling of the website you are visiting
4. By call , people call you posing themselves as credit card company officials and get your details( Never share your sensitive details like CVV, OTP etc.)
5. there are many new ways fraudsters hunt credit card information be attentive to the details when sharing information

There are many ways a credit card number can be stolen. In the hope that you don’t want to steal anyone else’s but want to protect your own, I’m going to answer your question in that frame of reference:

Do not let the credit card out of your sight when you are shopping, eating someplace, pumping fuel, or any other activity, unless you are someplace like a gym where you put it and the rest of your personal effects in a locker with a secure lock on it.

The place that is the most difficult sometimes to keep an eye on your credit card is at some restaurants. Some wait staff want (or supposedly need) to take your card away from the table to a machine behind a wall or something. Do everything you can to discourage this, because once that card leaves your hands, anyone else in that restaurant (usually some worker with less than great motives) can capture your number. These days, it is even easier than it used to be, since now the “thief” only has to take a phone-picture with it; years ago, that person had to write down each individual number, along with the expiration date and the 3-digit code on the back side.

Learn about what to look for if skimming equipment has been installed (use the Internet to find out more about this). Some less than honest individuals install such equipment on fuel pumps at a gas station, so that when you insert your card, the skimming device will read it and the thief will get your numbers. If you are not sure what to look for, be safe and take the extra minute or so to lock your vehicle and go inside where you can have a staff person run the charge for you.

Be careful when you are paying with your credit card in a store and there are people behind and around you. Stay conscious of what others are doing and how you are handling your card. Individuals have been known to act like they are talking on their phone, but they will be very sly and take a phone-picture of your card instead. Depending upon how crafty they are and how careless you might be, they might get lucky and even be able to get a picture of the reverse side of your card with the CCV on it in addition to the front of the card.

You might want to Google a few ways to ask this question and see what other ideas come up on the search, because I’m sure I haven’t listed every way the crooks have tried to think about to cheat people of their hard-earned money.

The preferred method is via the internet when you purchase something. Unless you have good password security and have VPN software (virtual private network) your credit card numbers are vulnerable. Truth is, nobody is immune from ID theft (unless you become a hermit and live in a cave.) A company like LifeLock is more practical. Note: I’m not affiliated with LifeLock. ID and credit card theft can happen to anyone. There’s no foolproof safety method.

A second method is to use a “skimmer” which is attached to an ATM card slot so when you insert your ATM card, it records your identity on the magnetic strip on your card. They collect dozens of card numbers and make blank cards.

A third way is old school. When you give your server your credit card to pay your bill at a restaurant, they take it away and collect the data on a card reader.

Julianna, this is a very common scam. Nobody put $4,000 on a debit card in your name. They said they did in order for you to believe that they care about you. When the card doesn't work (they never do) you let him know and he says he'll check on it.

Then, he'll contact you and tell you some crazy bullshit story about the money being on hold or stolen or some nonsense. He'll say he needs $1,000 to be able to reissue the card for you.

So, he expects to receive $1,000 and then he disappears. It's pretty simple really.

These scammers do this all day every day. It's their job and they get quite good at it.

Don't you send one penny!!!

Don't send your personal or financial information to anyone you met online EVER.

Don't send money to anyone you met online EVER.

You'll never see your money again.

Please don't be a fool.

Don't be another victim.

I'm so glad you asked this question.

Today I received a call from an unknown number

Scammer : Hello!! Aarti?

Me - Who's this

Scammer : you haven't recognised me ? ( Giggles)

Me - I'm sorry but no can you please let me know

Scammer: guess ( laughs)

Scammer : I'm ( pooja’s husband)

Your brother in law you seem to

forget me

( there is indeed a cousin of mine named Puja and the way this scammer was talking was brilliantly convincing) but still I wasn't convinced I was not sure why would (that brother in law) would call me out of the blue from an unknown number but I played along

Me : oh ! hello

Scammer: yes Aarti I've a got a little issue I'm sending you some money and please pay me back them on another no.

That moment I understood what this scammer is trying to do I cut the call and blocked the no.

Something similar happened with my Older brother as well the scammer convienced him that he's one of his friend he even sent him fake message imitating banks message even the account no.was different but he understood it as well .

Alot of people receive such scam calls everyday we should make our family and friends and more innocent people aware because these scammers use commam names and sound so convincing and prevent people from losing their hard earned money this way~

Big story. In shorts.

someone used my cc from UK for 30500 INR in apple online. I got sms in night.Didnt see it.

Called bank and blocked the same the next morning. Got an sms in morning saying my cc was again used in UK. But no money debited as card was already blocked. Meanwhile I contacted the Uk site thru facebook, but they said the contact regarding fraud should be from my banks fraud team to theirs. So i decided to wait for the timeframe of 45 days from the bank.

Meanwhile i posted the same in conplaints online site. Then the real game started. I got a call saying it is from bank from UP number, they want to get my bank details to transfer the money. I doubted, but they told me they are calling from cc dept, and no access to debit card dept. So i will have to give my Bank details. They asked ne if i use the bank app. I confirmed. They asked me for my UPi id, which i give. Then they asked to accept it in the payment section. It showed debit as my account and payment to a third party account.

I had around 1 lakh in my account. Before accepting it, i transferred my amount to my second bank account using IMpS. Then Accepted His transfer.

He tried to ask my if i had put any restrictions. I said negetive. Then he tried to put Rs 5000 in debit, which also went in vain.

Then he cut the call.

That day I visited the bank and said the details. They confirmed that they never call customers.

I finally got the money back in the account from the case i filed after 45 days.

Pay at the pump fuel is a huge one. They often ship to vacant houses or forwarding addresses. Buying gift cards with an actual cash value. Virtual goods especially ones that have real world value. Just to name a few.

Laundering of some sort is the obvious safest way for them to benefit, but if you think about it, the amount of fraud just in the US alone is probably a hundred times more than what our police can possibly deal with. Even if they ship it to their home address, the chances of a police officer showing up at their house are exceedingly low.

I work in both the merchant and the processing side of credit card processing and I’ve seen countless cases of blatant fraud, talked to numerous police departments, and in all my experience, I’ve seen the police pursue a thief, 4 times. These situations were either in small towns where the sheriff takes situations like this seriously or were for extraordinarily large losses, as in 7 figures. I’ve seen police laugh at million dollar fraud cases, jokingly suggesting they’ll get a special investigation right on it (that was Chicago FYI and another similar one near Detroit). Whether it’s actually due to a lack of resources in every situation, there’s just an incredible amount of apathy when it comes to this sort of crime.

The only person who can protect you from scams is…you. When you make a purchase, your issuer doesn’t really know who you’re buying from. Sure, some scammers are well known, but for the most part, when you’re targeted by a scammer, they haven’t been identified yet. So the issuer looks to see if you’ve made this type of purchase before (mostly an online purchase) and whether you have enough money to fund the transaction. If all checks out then the sale is approved. It’s up to you to verify the merchant. There are so many scams and if you fall for one you could lose the money you spent. Be careful. I recently sold a Christa's tree on a social media app. Then somebody said they’d buy it, but they were out of town. They’d have the “movers”. Come and get it. The tree was $100. I received a “cashier check” for $1500. I called the bank and they told me the check was a fake. Using common sense will save you a lot of money. Be suspicious of anyone who contacts you.

It’s a method to turn “soft” money into “hard” ( cash ), while keeping it untraceable to them.

The scammer has money online, in accounts they control.
Doesn’t matter where they got funds from, some sort of illegal activity,
He need a way to turn this into actual cash [preferable] or could order products with it
but then he needs an address where he’s able to collect the items, yet still remain anonymous.
Also, merchandise is only convertible to cash at 50%
Crypto can be an option, but it’s not truly untraceable, plus still need to turn it into cash.

If the scammer has a physical debit card that he controls both the PIN and account info.
He can send his online funds [or withdraw crypto] onto the card and withdraw from any ATM.
It’s at full value, and the trail stops at the owner of the debit card.
Also, people can be greedy at times.
When the owner of the debit card sees his balance increasing, there is a hesitation to report it stolen or close the account.

There can be multiple ways the criminals can make money from stealing credit card numbers.

• Firstly, using the credit card number they can purchase multiple items online and get it delivered to address which they don’t even own and even sell those items themselves.
• Secondly, they can sell the credit card numbers in the black market and can earn quite handsome money.
• Thirdly, criminals can use credit card numbers to download paid virtual products and sometimes buy virtual currencies; for example, gaming consoles require users to buy coins to unlock the level. These coins are even refundable later on.
• Fourthly, the criminals can use them for illegal gambling and investments.

Such types of fraudulent activities are quite easy for criminals to carry out because it takes time to track credit card fraudulent use. By the time a victim is able to find out the fraud, the criminal has already done enough damage moving onto the next prey.

Hope this helps :)

No. The system is structured so that nobody really loses anything.

Card holder: loses nothing, ever. In a few cases they might be charged $50 but this is quite rare.

Card issuer: they lose nothing, ever.

Merchant: they lose the merchandise, but they are insured. So they end up losing nothing.

For merchants, it is a cost-of-business thing. If they want to accept credit cards, there will be some fraud and some transactions that go badly. This is more than made up for by the increased sales by people being able to use credit cards.

For card holders, once they understand how the system works, it is in their favor 100%. Most of the time the way credit card numbers are “borrowed” is from use. You use the card and the details are copied and sent somewhere. This information is then sold to people who try to use the card for a purchase. The middleman makes out very well because they get paid no matter what.

At no time is anyone “stealing money”. I will say that debit cards can carry additional risk. Since you never have any idea of what might happen to a card number when it is used, using a debit card for a purchase is very, very risky.

By keeping few things in mind when attending a call claiming that they are from your credit card issuer customer care team!

• Credit Card Companies generally in any marketing call or transaction-related call, never ask you for your full credit card number, nor your CVV or your Expiry Date.
• Use a caller ID Service like TrueCaller, it's quite helpful to let know any new number that you’re receiving.
• Never share your card details or photo on Chat apps with anyone if anyone asks you for verification.
• If anyone asks you for your card photo for any reason such as a new card application, you can hide the card numbers by shading them out.

U know sweetie, gift card is activated in place, in which U are buying any gift card. By the counter, U pay for card, and clerk is giving to U receipt,, which shows, that card was activated, at that moment.

If U send that card to any scammer, U just may forget, about money U did investment for any crooked piggy individual.

Have MERCY people overall, do not send one red penny to any living, deceiving, scamming disgust!!!

Didn't U learned already, who they are, and, what they do, to naive hungry for “sweet, good words to hear".

Everything is just disgusting lies, not worthy, even to spray on it.

Save your time, feelings and money. Do read PAMELA, and other people smart testimony, what all that scamming huge business is about.

Good luck, U need it

Firslty has the person you have released the details or have copied from you, tried to use the card?

If they have contact you bank and tell them it is was a frauulent transation, without your consent and will they recall it. Note: with some of the scammers, they will change the card number over and divert the refund to another card so the bank holding you copied card cannot reject it. These transactions can happen within seconds of the fraud. So immediately cancel the card.

A new debit card will be issued with a new number alosng with an expiry date, and you should ask the bank that if you account has not been debit yet, whether it is being held in a “pending folder” which is a special bank account that holds transactions which although approved, is not debited to your account until the vendor/merchant runs their card reader/input module and the request for funds is released. This is usually overnight, hence you should phone you bank to not just report the card for misuse, but to place the account in suspence.

The monies held in pending can be earmarked by the bank and then when it reaches your account returned as a rejected payment.

Request your bank to place the account on “Fraud Watch” or the equivalent which means the the name of the person attempting to use the card or the name shown on the card. Feeze the bank account completely until investigations have been carried.

Then either:

1. Open a number two (2) account with the bank but a different branch who will give you a brand new account number, IBAN reference and the US equivalent of a Sorting Code in the UK . (Take the bank’s advice).
2. Relating to the advice from the bank, if they feel the account is in real risk, they many suggest opening a temporary account with a new bank altogeher. Now becareful with this one, since some big name Banks also own smaller banks, notably (Again in the UK) National Westminster Bank, is actualy owned by Bank of Scotland so they share the same data bases so the fraudster may try to see if there is an account in your name with that account as well. HSBC is another one as they are a very, very large bank and took over Midalnd Bank in the 1990s following the Banking Crash as no UK would touch them. So an account can be opened with HSBC in the Far East and use the HSBC Bank in the UK as a “Correspondent Bank” for you local Currency (for example GB£ with Midland bank and try to access it that way.
3. Relating to the last comment in 2 above, find out who the correspondent bank is for the accounts they hold in again say Hong Kong and ask them to notify the bank where your account is held, for example If you are with Bank of America the list of banks who use them as Correspondent Bank of other international banks around the world. That will protect your account from any immediate scams.
4. In the meantime open up an account with a completely separate bank, as above outside the main network of banks that deal with day to day clearing banks, mentioned above. In the UK there are some indpendent banks, for example Co-Operative Bank, (which is linked to the goup of shops under that name Co-Op. There are other accounts as “Virgin” (part of the Richard Branson Group of companies), Santandar, which you have to be a little careful with since they bought out what was Abbey National, which although was a Building Society, converted to a bank some time ago and largely indpendent but controlled by an overseas company.

Whilst I know I am referring in point 4. about English Banks, you need to find out the Americal equivalent where what appears to be an independent bank in fact is owned by a more well known bank and could be still open fraud. So check the connections and if your are going to open an account ask first if they have any links with other banks or socieites, If you tell them the reason why i.e. your current account holders have had the data base containing your account attacked, and you need to make sure they are totally independent.

As for keeping the account safe for the future do not disclose your account details unless your trust them. Be very careful how your fill in customer surveys as you can find (although they are not supposed to) sell the information on to third parties, and not just the sector you are being asked about, in this case banking.

Keep all passwords and PN numbers safe, and ideally remember them and destroy any notififaction that arrived with the card (they shouldn’t come together, even in spearate enevelopes , and if they do, then notify your bank. More so if the envelope is hand written or in typwriter face not embossed computer print.

Most importantly monitor banks statments. If you do have a high voloume of transactions passing though your account during the course of the month, then ask for weekly statemnets. If you have on-lne banking check that as well, and if thay do have an equivalent of fraud watch make sure that is protected as well as changing the accounting codes and passwords.

If you find transactions you do not recognise, or strange entries, in my case a business tried to test my account by putting in a very large amount of money, only to wthhdraw a slightly smaller amount (only by £2) to see if the account would take it, on the same day. These sorts of frauds are done with in hours of each other. If that happens again notify you bank immediately.

Regrettably there are a lot of scammers about and some quite subtle who use similar names to widley known operatins. For example Bitcoin, has been impersonated by another company who call themselves “Coinbase”, whch sould very familiar/similar but the latter is a fraud and data gathering operation pretending to be a currency trader and selling gold bullion as a commodity.

In the UK, regrettably the Police are useless and just direct you to the Fraud Watch operation as they can’t be bothered and don’t see this sort of money launderting as a crime. Eqaully Fraud Watch are not much better as they just record the crime, but do not follow it up, on the excuse that there is so much crime reported that they “have’t got time to investigate every case” (my answer to that is “then employ more people to investigate! “).

If you have had you account scammed, then tell your bank immediately and suspend the account, and then follow the procedures I out line above. Finally keep all forms of identity save in your sight, particularly things like passports, photo type driving licneses and insurnaces, along with savings account, including Building Socitety Accounts out of sight

Chris R- London.

From what you say your card details are likely no longer secure. If you've given them to fraudsters by mistake they won't necessarily try to use them right away. They may try entering the details on a legitimate site to make sure they're accepted before trying to sell your card details on or use them themselves for some scam.

However, don't be complacent. If you think your debit card details may have been compromised, report it to your bank right away. Probably all they will need to do is cancel your card and issue you a new one. They may need to cancel your bank account and set a new one up for you. If the latter is the case they will be able to transfer things like direct debits across for you.

If you don't do anything and your bank account is later cleaned out by scammers, your bank won't offer any restitution because they will accuse you of contributory negligence. Don't take the risk.