| On Jan 17th, 2008 a sting operation in Vancouver, | | | | however now they can be purchased various |
| BC thwarted a ring of credit card counterfeiters | | | | places online. By swiping your card the device pulls |
| living the life of luxury entirely funded with other | | | | all data required for counterfeiting right off the |
| people's credit. The goods hauled away by police | | | | card, which can be later downloaded to a |
| filled several 3 ton moving trucks and values were | | | | computer. Often the data is sent overseas to |
| estimated between $70,000 and $100,000 dollars. | | | | factories that produce high quality fraudulent |
| The perpetrators had used stolen and | | | | cards by the thousands. Cards are then sent out |
| manufactured identities to finance everything | | | | to crime rings throughout the world. |
| from high end cameras, televisions, and jewelery | | | | Some of the standard security features found on |
| to automobiles and a multi-million dollar home. | | | | most types of cards include embossing, micro |
| Accounts seized were valued at over $10 million | | | | printing, and printing only visible under black light or |
| dollars. | | | | ultraviolet light. As technology improves, so does |
| Credit card fraud is a multi-billion dollar crime in | | | | the need for increased security features. Some |
| North America. It is becoming an increasingly | | | | cards now contain a microchip inside of them |
| popular form of identity theft because of | | | | which is almost impossible to replicate. Countries |
| advances in printing technologies and it can be | | | | that have implemented this system have seen a |
| done anonymously with little or no risk of | | | | reduction of this type of credit card fraud |
| prosecution even if it is discovered. Often card | | | | reduced by as much as 80%. Some countries |
| numbers are used to make purchases over the | | | | also require a PIN number be entered at the time |
| phone or internet, but sometimes advanced | | | | of credit card processing as well. It is the |
| schemers may create an actual copy of your | | | | responsibility of store managers to implement |
| credit card complete with magnetic stripe, | | | | procedures to protect customer's information. |
| signature, and security features. | | | | Credit card providers, such as Visa and |
| Scam artists have dozens of ways of gathering | | | | MasterCard have security procedures and |
| your information. It may be as simple as | | | | protocols businesses must abide by in order to |
| convincing an employee at a restaurant, or gas | | | | safeguard both the merchant account and the |
| station to copy down credit card numbers | | | | individual. If you do notice someone has skimmed |
| throughout the day, or as advanced as planting a | | | | your card during a transaction call the provider |
| bug on point of sale equipment, or even | | | | and put a hold on the account. Make a mental |
| unplugging and replacing a card reader right off | | | | note of the individual's physical description, such as |
| the checkout table in a retail outlet. Skimming is | | | | height, weight, hair or eye color, skin tone, and |
| the most common and fastest way schemers | | | | what clothing they are wearing. Immediately |
| collect credit card data. The individual carries a | | | | report the suspicious individual to law |
| small box the size of a pager or cell phone. In the | | | | enforcement. |
| past you had to make a skimmer yourself, | | | | |