Clone Cards

Buying Stolen Credit Cards Online

The acquisition of stolen credit cards is an increasing problem. One common method used by criminals is the installation of hidden skimming devices on legitimate card readers, such as those found at gas stations, ATMs, or retail Point-of-Sale (POS) terminals.

What makes these attacks particularly insidious is that they do not require the active participation of store employees. Instead, perpetrators can collect data from these hidden scanners over long periods without customers, staff, or store owners recognizing the source of the breach.

Protection Against Credit Card Cloning

To protect yourself from credit card cloning, take the following precautions:

• Inspect all card readers you use
  Take a moment to inspect the card reader. If anything looks suspicious, don’t use it. Some skimming devices, for example, may appear unusually bulky or have strange attachments.
• Monitor your credit card transactions
  Keep an eye on your account activity to spot fraudulent transactions. Make it a habit to check your account regularly—ideally daily—through online banking.
• Sign up for fraud alerts
  Subscribe to fraud alerts from your bank or card issuer. You will be notified by email or text if suspicious activities occur on your account, such as unauthorized withdrawals or payments exceeding a set limit.
• Use bank-owned ATMs
  Only use ATMs that are affiliated with banks. Avoid using machines at potentially unsafe locations like gas stations or kiosks.
• Use chip readers for added security
  Always use chip technology instead of traditional card swiping. While chip cards are still vulnerable to cloning, the risk is significantly lower compared to magnetic stripe cards.
• Use contactless payments
  If your card supports contactless payments, use this feature instead of inserting your card into a terminal. This minimizes the risk of your card being exposed to a skimming device.

Chip cards, also known as EMV cards (Europay, MasterCard, and Visa), are part of a global security standard developed by these three organizations to improve card security. Their widespread use has made payment transactions safer worldwide.

What to Do If Your Credit Card Is Stolen

If you suspect your card has been cloned, contact your credit card company or bank immediately. The sooner you lock the card, the less time criminals have to make unauthorized transactions.

The good news is that most consumers are protected from the financial consequences of credit card fraud. Under the Fair Credit Billing Act, your liability is limited to a maximum of $50 if the theft is reported promptly.

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How Credit Card Cloning Works

Credit card cloning is a highly organized and sophisticated criminal act. Here’s a detailed overview:

1. Recruiting an accomplice: A criminal helper, often someone with direct access to customer cards, such as a cashier or a waiter, is hired.
2. Obtaining a skimmer: The accomplice acquires a skimming device, a small gadget designed to capture the data from a card’s magnetic strip. This device can either be standalone or attached to an existing card reader.
3. Swiping the card: During the payment process, the customer’s card is swiped through both the regular POS terminal and the hidden skimmer device.
4. Returning the card: After the data is captured, the accomplice returns the card to the unsuspecting customer.
5. Transferring the data to a fake card: The captured data is transferred onto the magnetic strip of a counterfeit card, which may also have been stolen.
6. Using the fake card: The fake card can now be used just like a real card or for further fraudulent activities, such as purchasing gift cards or making unauthorized payments.

There are variations of this process. Some criminals attach skimmers to ATMs or portable card readers and take advantage of the opportunity when the user swipes or inserts their card. As long as the criminal can later retrieve the device, all the information stored on the magnetic strip is captured.

How Stolen Cards Are Acquired

Additionally, thieves can use social manipulation techniques to obtain sensitive information, such as the PIN or billing address of the cardholder, allowing them to use the stolen data in even more fraudulent scenarios.