Massive Hi-tech Credit Card Fraud in UK Supermarkets

Detectives are investigating a sophisticated credit card fraud against customers of some of the leading supermarkets including Asda, Tesco and Sainsbury. Evidence point to Pakistan as the origin of the credit card fraud.

Fraudsters have targeted more than 40 stores in an elaborate credit card fraud scam. Police say tiny devices were inserted into the stores' 'chip and pin' credit card readers.

Specialists say the technology is the most advanced they have seen and is being used in supermarket chains across Europe. The devices, which are made in China, are reading and storing selected customers’ Mastercard and personal identification numbers as the cards are inserted into readers at supermarket checkout tills.

It is believed the bugs transmit the information via wireless technology to Lahore in Pakistan. Customers’ cards are then cloned and used to steal money from their credit card and current accounts and to pay for items such as airline tickets on the internet.

The scam was first discovered in the US and while there is no direct evidence to link it with terrorist activities in Pakistan, MPs here in the UK are calling for a full investigation amid growing evidence that terrorist groups such as Al-Qaeda are resorting to sophisticated technology to raise funds.

Source: Customer Strategy, London, UK

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24 Cracking Tips to Save Yourself from Identity Theft and Credit Card Fraud

Don't just rely on insurance to protect you from identity theft and card fraud. It's much better to take these precautions to prevent it from happening in the first place!

These tips can save you from financial loss and the pain and effort needed to make it right again:

Identity-theft insurance:

A typical identity-theft insurance policy will pay for such things as rejected loan application fees and lost wages if you have to take time off work to reclaim your identity. The biggest benefit, in my opinion, is that many providers will be able to tell you what to do, who to report to, which companies to call and so on. This might be useful if you think you wouldn't keep a cool head in that situation.

Credit-card protection insurance:

A typical credit-card protection policy will cover you for loss due to fraud up to a specified limit, perhaps £5,000. Once you have reported the loss to the insurer, the limit for any additional losses that occur after the report could rise to £50,000 or £100,000. In addition, these insurances will often cover cash that has been stolen with your cards (up to a few hundred pounds).

Other benefits can include a service that will contact all your card providers to notify them of theft and to get replacement cards re-issued. Furthermore, if, because of the theft, you have no money to get home, the policy will probably pay for your transport costs too. The cost of replacing documents such as your driver's license and passport may also be covered if they go missing at the same time as your cards.

Are these insurances worth it?

Identity-theft and card protection insurances may particularly benefit people who are victims of fraud that is committed outside Europe, as it can sometimes be harder then to recover your money. However, I believe that identity-theft and card protection insurances are of negligible value to most people. This is because of these basic rights:

1. Credit-, debit- and charge-card issuers must bear the cost of fraudulent use. In some cases, you have to pay for part of the loss, but this is limited to £50. The exception is if you're grossly negligent, e.g. if you write your PIN on your card.
2. If you make a purchase worth £100 to £30,000 with a credit card and you have a problem with your purchase, your credit-card issuer is equally liable to refund you. This means you can ask your credit-card company to refund your account in addition to the vendor.

This leads us to the third way to protect yourself and your money:

Be careful!

If you're careful, the chances of suffering from fraud are very low. If you have a loss, it can take a while to fix it and get your money back, and this can be stressful. That's why it's best to be alert. We've not shared any tips on this for a while, so here are the better ones:

Documents:

1) Keep your cheque books separate from your credit cards.
2) Keep your driver’s license separate from your keys (as your license has your address on it).
3) Keep your passport safely hidden away when traveling.
4) Shred all documents with your personal or financial details, rather than bin them.
5) Check bank and card statements for unfamiliar transactions
6) Re-direct your post when you move and notify all companies that send you post of your new address.
7) Check your credit report occasionally.
8) Ignore letters that seem too good to be true; the ones that offer you money for nothing or ask for personal details.

Cards:

1. Report missing cards immediately.
2. Don't let restaurant and shop staff take your card out of your sight, because they might clone it.
3. Inform your bank if you're planning a trip abroad, so they don't get suspicious of your overseas transactions and bar your cards.
4. Be paranoid about people finding out your PIN number. Try to memorize it, not write it down, and cover it up when you enter it into readers or cash machines.
5. Put all your cards on a photocopier and copy both sides. Write the emergency contact numbers for each provider on the paper. Then store it somewhere secret and safe.

Computer and telephone:

1. As with letters, ignore dodgy calls or emails that ask for money or personal details from you.
2. Don't click through links sent to you by email from your bank or any other financial organization. Often these are cleverly disguised 'phishing' attacks to lead you to fake websites, where you enter, and therefore reveal, your personal details and passwords.
3. Be careful with your passwords, and don't choose anything obvious.
4. Don't give passwords to anyone who calls you, regardless of who they say they are. Find the correct number online and call them back, so you know it's not a fraud.
5. Make sure you see the padlock sign before you type personal details into forms on the Internet.
6. Get some anti-spyware and anti-virus software. Don't be conned into buying a fake product though! Get tips from your IT friend, or pick software you know has a good reputation. I've used Ad-Aware and Spyware Doctor for anti-spyware, but other well-known packages are Norton and McAfee. I've used McAfee's anti-virus software too.
7. Scan all attachments you receive by email for viruses.
8. If you download (i.e. open or save) any files from the Internet, save them to your computer first and then scan them. Don't just open them.
9. To be extra safe, don't download files from sources you don't know and trust.
10. Try to resist putting your personal details on networking sites such as Facebook for all to see.

Source: Motley Fool UK, UK

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10 Tips to Save Yourself from Credit Card Fraud

Follow these 10 steps to save yourself from credit card fraud:

1. Never provide your credit card information on a website that is not
a secure site.

2. Sign your credit cards as soon as you receive them.

3. Shred all credit card applications you receive.

4. Don't write your PIN number on your credit card - or have it anywhere near your credit card.

5. Never leave your credit cards or receipts lying around.

6. Open credit card bills promptly and make sure there are no bogus charges. Treat your credit card bill like your checking account - reconcile it monthly. Save your receipts so you can compare them with your monthly bills.

7. If you find any charges that you don't have a receipt for - or that you don't recognize - report these charges promptly (and in writing) to the credit card issuer.

8. Shred anything with your credit card number written on it.

9. Never sign a blank credit card receipt. Carefully draw a line through blank portions of the receipt where additional charges could be fraudulently added.

10. Ideally, it's a good idea to carry your credit cards separately from your wallet - perhaps in a zippered compartment or a small pouch.

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