Pune, July 16 A woman lost Rs 25,000 to an ATM card fraud on Sunday soon. The victim, Trupti Nitin Menvelkar (39) of Tejas Society, Kothrud has lodged a complaint with the Kothrud police station.
Police said Trupti and her husband had gone for a movie at City Pride theatre on Saturday evening.
While coming back from the cinema hall, she lost her wallet carrying her ICICI bank ATM card. On Sunday, she received an SMS from the ICICI bank that Rs 25,000 has been withdrawn from her account in three transactions.
Trupti has told the police that her ATM card was blocked around 12.30 pm on Sunday. While the money was withdrawn from her account around 1.15 pm.
Investigation officer D A Walimbe said that money was withdrawn from the ATM centres in the city.
"The ATM centres were installed with CCTV cameras. So we have asked the bank to get the video clips of the time when money was withdrawn," he said.
Walimbe said that Trupti works with a private company. She has an account with Apte road branch of ICICI.
Showing posts with label Credit card fraud. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Credit card fraud. Show all posts
Thursday, July 17, 2008
International Fraud Case Has Local Ties - kcra.com - 15 Jul 2008
Women Known As 'Richmond Girls' Arrested
RICHMOND, Calif. -- An international crime ring involving more than a $1 million worth of credit card fraud has ties to the Central Valley, police said.
Police arrested six women from the Bay Area who were allegedly targeting 10 Central Valley stores in a credit card fraud scheme.
Officials of the Sacramento Valley High Tech Crimes Task Force said the group of women, called the "Richmond Girls," are responsible for $1 million in fraudulent credit card transactions in the past six months.
The women allegedly used credit card encoders to recode gift cards that were used at stores like Target and Wal-Mart along Interstate 80 between Roseville and the Bay Area, police said.
Police said they think the women are somehow connected to Ukrainian and Russian identity theft rings, who would e-mail the women credit card account numbers stolen from at least 400 U.S. and foreign citizens, according to investigators.
"We definitely think the ring is bigger than six," said task force spokesman Sean Smith. "I don't want to give too many details since it's an active investigation, but it is a significantly larger number than six people."
The "Richmond Girls" face 180 felony counts, officials said.
RICHMOND, Calif. -- An international crime ring involving more than a $1 million worth of credit card fraud has ties to the Central Valley, police said.
Police arrested six women from the Bay Area who were allegedly targeting 10 Central Valley stores in a credit card fraud scheme.
Officials of the Sacramento Valley High Tech Crimes Task Force said the group of women, called the "Richmond Girls," are responsible for $1 million in fraudulent credit card transactions in the past six months.
The women allegedly used credit card encoders to recode gift cards that were used at stores like Target and Wal-Mart along Interstate 80 between Roseville and the Bay Area, police said.
Police said they think the women are somehow connected to Ukrainian and Russian identity theft rings, who would e-mail the women credit card account numbers stolen from at least 400 U.S. and foreign citizens, according to investigators.
"We definitely think the ring is bigger than six," said task force spokesman Sean Smith. "I don't want to give too many details since it's an active investigation, but it is a significantly larger number than six people."
The "Richmond Girls" face 180 felony counts, officials said.
Police say largest case of credit card fraud in memory - news8austin.com - 16 Jul 2008
The San Marcos Police have made two arrests in what they say is the largest case of credit card fraud in memory.
The evidence room at the San Marcos Police Department looks like an electronics store.
When police arrested the men, they had 50 credit cards and close to $30,000 in video games, mp3 players, computers and movies.
San Marcos Police Commander Terry Nichols said it took hours to log the evidence.
"When you find that they have over 50 credit cards in their
possession and all the merchandise, we knew this was going to be a much bigger case," he said.
Investigators said Hector Gomez, 37, of Guadalajara, and Gabriel Rivas, 31, of Mexico City, made frequent shopping trips to Central Texas.
During each trip, they'd buy thousands of dollars in electronics.
"[He] buys it with fraudulent credit cards in the United States, ships it to Mexico and then resells it," Nichols said.
Police said the credit cards with the suspects' names on them were phony, but the electronic data on the cards were linked to victims' accounts.
Police are still working to identify those victims.
Experts say there are things you can do to protect yourself from this type of fraud.
First, if you use you card online, make sure the site is secure. When using card at a business, watch your card during the transaction.
Hays County District Attorney Sherri Tibbe said you should check your statements carefully.
"You have to be very vigilant with your information. Constantly check your account. If you see fraudulent activity, cancel the account immediately and notify law enforcement," she said.
By Russell Wilde
The evidence room at the San Marcos Police Department looks like an electronics store.
When police arrested the men, they had 50 credit cards and close to $30,000 in video games, mp3 players, computers and movies.
San Marcos Police Commander Terry Nichols said it took hours to log the evidence.
"When you find that they have over 50 credit cards in their
possession and all the merchandise, we knew this was going to be a much bigger case," he said.
Investigators said Hector Gomez, 37, of Guadalajara, and Gabriel Rivas, 31, of Mexico City, made frequent shopping trips to Central Texas.
During each trip, they'd buy thousands of dollars in electronics.
"[He] buys it with fraudulent credit cards in the United States, ships it to Mexico and then resells it," Nichols said.
Police said the credit cards with the suspects' names on them were phony, but the electronic data on the cards were linked to victims' accounts.
Police are still working to identify those victims.
Experts say there are things you can do to protect yourself from this type of fraud.
First, if you use you card online, make sure the site is secure. When using card at a business, watch your card during the transaction.
Hays County District Attorney Sherri Tibbe said you should check your statements carefully.
"You have to be very vigilant with your information. Constantly check your account. If you see fraudulent activity, cancel the account immediately and notify law enforcement," she said.
By Russell Wilde
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Banks should be liable for e-fraud - vnunet.com - 11 Jul 2008
A House of Lords committee has called on the government to make banks, not customers, legally liable for internet fraud.
The House of Lords Science and Technology Committee called for legislation to force banks to cover customer losses incurred through e-crimes in its follow-up report into personal internet security published in August 2007.
The report claims that, under the current system, banks often deny liability for password and Pin fraud, claiming customer negligence or even complicity in the fraud.
"We reiterate our strongly held view that the current reporting sequence is wholly unsatisfactory and that it risks undermining public trust in the police and the internet," says the report.
The committee also recommended that victims of cyber-crime should be able to report incidents directly to the police, reversing the current process which requires them to report incidents to their bank.
The peers also called for a data breach notification law that would require organisations publicly to acknowledge breaches when customer security has been compromised.
The report acknowledged recent proactive moves in terms of protecting UK citizens from online crime, following the government's embarrassing data breaches.
"A level of indifference on the part of the government has now been dispelled only as a result of recent incidents involving serious losses of personal data, " the report said.
The call was backed by Bill Beverley, security technology sales manager at F5 Networks.
"If people were to adopt best practices, many of these data breaches would not have occurred," he told vnunet.com.
Beverley believes that this move would "add some teeth to the legislation" and help spur complacent companies into action when it comes to the protection of data and the liabilities involved when breaches occur.
He added that it is imperative that government agencies are held to the same standards at private companies.
by Guy Dixon and Ian Williams
The House of Lords Science and Technology Committee called for legislation to force banks to cover customer losses incurred through e-crimes in its follow-up report into personal internet security published in August 2007.
The report claims that, under the current system, banks often deny liability for password and Pin fraud, claiming customer negligence or even complicity in the fraud.
"We reiterate our strongly held view that the current reporting sequence is wholly unsatisfactory and that it risks undermining public trust in the police and the internet," says the report.
The committee also recommended that victims of cyber-crime should be able to report incidents directly to the police, reversing the current process which requires them to report incidents to their bank.
The peers also called for a data breach notification law that would require organisations publicly to acknowledge breaches when customer security has been compromised.
The report acknowledged recent proactive moves in terms of protecting UK citizens from online crime, following the government's embarrassing data breaches.
"A level of indifference on the part of the government has now been dispelled only as a result of recent incidents involving serious losses of personal data, " the report said.
The call was backed by Bill Beverley, security technology sales manager at F5 Networks.
"If people were to adopt best practices, many of these data breaches would not have occurred," he told vnunet.com.
Beverley believes that this move would "add some teeth to the legislation" and help spur complacent companies into action when it comes to the protection of data and the liabilities involved when breaches occur.
He added that it is imperative that government agencies are held to the same standards at private companies.
by Guy Dixon and Ian Williams
2 Malaysians Nabbed For Credit Card Fraud In Bangkok
Thursday for credit card fraud in the latest incident involving Malaysians.
Hua Mark district police chief Vatana Ejin said the suspects, aged 31 and 33, reportedly told police they were part of a group headed by a China national who was detained by police last week.
The man's five accomplices were also picked up.
Vatana said the duo were nabbed after a commercial bank reported that they used fake credit cards to carry out transactions at several shopping complexes here.
"Following information from the public, we traced one of them shopping at a mall in Ramkamheang area and another one in Ekkamai," he told a press conference Friday.
According to Vatana, the duo told investigators that the China national had given them fake credit cards and fake passports to go shopping for expensive items like mobile phones, electrical products, whisky and cigarettes.
Prior to their arrest, one of them was shopping for a mobile phone worth 11,900 baht (about RM1,200) while his colleague was buying some products worth 50,000 baht (about RM5,000).
Vatana said the duo had continued their activities even after the arrest of their accomplices, adding that investigations revealed each group member received a five per cent commission from the total value of the products they had bought.
Last year and early this year, several Malaysians were arrested by Thai police for using fake credit cards to buy goods at popular shopping malls in the capital.
In one case, a Malaysian was caught stealing credit card information from a local bank here.
In April, three Malaysians, including a woman, were charged in a Thai court for using forged credit cards to buy air tickets to Athens, Greece and Kuala Lumpur.
Due to the rampant credit card cases involving Malaysians, banks have tightened procedures, including asking Thailand-based Malaysian businessmen to change their credit cards upon returning from their homeland.
Hua Mark district police chief Vatana Ejin said the suspects, aged 31 and 33, reportedly told police they were part of a group headed by a China national who was detained by police last week.
The man's five accomplices were also picked up.
Vatana said the duo were nabbed after a commercial bank reported that they used fake credit cards to carry out transactions at several shopping complexes here.
"Following information from the public, we traced one of them shopping at a mall in Ramkamheang area and another one in Ekkamai," he told a press conference Friday.
According to Vatana, the duo told investigators that the China national had given them fake credit cards and fake passports to go shopping for expensive items like mobile phones, electrical products, whisky and cigarettes.
Prior to their arrest, one of them was shopping for a mobile phone worth 11,900 baht (about RM1,200) while his colleague was buying some products worth 50,000 baht (about RM5,000).
Vatana said the duo had continued their activities even after the arrest of their accomplices, adding that investigations revealed each group member received a five per cent commission from the total value of the products they had bought.
Last year and early this year, several Malaysians were arrested by Thai police for using fake credit cards to buy goods at popular shopping malls in the capital.
In one case, a Malaysian was caught stealing credit card information from a local bank here.
In April, three Malaysians, including a woman, were charged in a Thai court for using forged credit cards to buy air tickets to Athens, Greece and Kuala Lumpur.
Due to the rampant credit card cases involving Malaysians, banks have tightened procedures, including asking Thailand-based Malaysian businessmen to change their credit cards upon returning from their homeland.
Europol busts European credit card scam - focus-fen.net – 12 Jul 2008
The Hague. Officials bust a European syndicate Friday responsible for the large-scale forgery of credit cards, arresting five people in Italy and two in Greece, policing agency Europol said, AFP reported.
"The perpetrators skimmed and cloned credit cards, originating from countries all over Europe," it said in a statement.
"The data was then utilisedproduce counterfeit payment cards which were subsequently used for illegal cash withdrawals and payments in Greece and Italy."
The syndicate is believed to have siphoned off more than one million euros (1.5 million dollars), said the statement.
Investigators dismantled a counterfeit card production site in the Italian city of Livorno.
"The operation can be considered as a great success since this significant criminal group, producing and using counterfeit payment cards, was disrupted from the bottom up," said Europol director Max-Peter Ratzel.
The operation, dubbed "Plastik", was carried out by Italian policing agencies and Europol.
"The perpetrators skimmed and cloned credit cards, originating from countries all over Europe," it said in a statement.
"The data was then utilisedproduce counterfeit payment cards which were subsequently used for illegal cash withdrawals and payments in Greece and Italy."
The syndicate is believed to have siphoned off more than one million euros (1.5 million dollars), said the statement.
Investigators dismantled a counterfeit card production site in the Italian city of Livorno.
"The operation can be considered as a great success since this significant criminal group, producing and using counterfeit payment cards, was disrupted from the bottom up," said Europol director Max-Peter Ratzel.
The operation, dubbed "Plastik", was carried out by Italian policing agencies and Europol.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Airlines act against e-ticket fraud - The Telegraph – 10 Jul 2008
Fliers must carry photocopy of credit card used for purchase
The next time you buy an air ticket online for someone you know, don’t forget to give that person an attested photocopy of your credit card because airlines are becoming stricter in implementing a fraud-prevention rule that has been in existence for some time.
Amitabha Banerjee (name changed on request) was unaware of this when he checked in for an afternoon flight to Mumbai last week. The executive at the check-in counter of the private airline sought a photocopy of the credit card that was used to buy the e-ticket, leaving him puzzled.
Banerjee said he had bought the ticket from a travel agent and didn’t know whether a credit card had been used in the transaction. “On being told that airlines are being extra cautious in regard to tickets bought with credit cards, I called up my travel agent from the airport to ask for a faxed photocopy of his card,” he recalled.
He was lucky to get it in half an hour, just in time to board the flight.
The high incidence of identity theft — all you need for an online purchase is the credit card number, the expiry date and the three-digit CVV number printed at the back — is the reason why airlines are insisting on fliers carrying photocopies of credit cards if their tickets have been booked by someone else.
“There have been several such frauds over the last six months,” a Jet Airways official said.
He said almost all airlines had this clause in their e-ticket rules, though very few were implementing it until recently. “Henceforth, if any passenger fails to show the photocopy of the credit card attested by its owner, the ticket will be cancelled and a fresh ticket issued. The owner of the card will get the refund,” the Jet official said.
The system is, however, far from foolproof. A card that is stolen can be used to buy tickets, photocopied and presented as proof of the purchase being bona fide. “If a person commits this kind of fraud, there is nothing one can do,” said an official at airport police station.
There have even been instances of hackers cracking online payment gateways with fake credit card numbers and purchasing tickets. In such cases, airlines incur losses.
Last month, the e-commerce department of Jet Airways asked its airport division to look out for a passenger booked on a Calcutta-Mumbai flight because of doubts about his online purchase. "We were asked to check the photocopy of the credit card and if the passenger failed to produce it, the ticket should be cancelled. The passenger did not turn up. It seems he had a hunch he would be caught," an official said.
Most frauds are committed by small-time tour operators. "Tickets are issued usually 24 hours before departure, giving us little time to detect the fraud," a Deccan official said.
"We advise passengers to buy tickets from authorised travel agents. They should not fall for unusually low fares offered by tour operators whose credentials are not known," said Anil Punjabi, chairman (east) of the Travel Agents’ Federation of India.
According to sources in the aviation industry, 5-7 per cent of airline tickets are bought online. Around 20 per cent are purchased with credit cards from travel agents.
By Sanjay Mandal
The next time you buy an air ticket online for someone you know, don’t forget to give that person an attested photocopy of your credit card because airlines are becoming stricter in implementing a fraud-prevention rule that has been in existence for some time.
Amitabha Banerjee (name changed on request) was unaware of this when he checked in for an afternoon flight to Mumbai last week. The executive at the check-in counter of the private airline sought a photocopy of the credit card that was used to buy the e-ticket, leaving him puzzled.
Banerjee said he had bought the ticket from a travel agent and didn’t know whether a credit card had been used in the transaction. “On being told that airlines are being extra cautious in regard to tickets bought with credit cards, I called up my travel agent from the airport to ask for a faxed photocopy of his card,” he recalled.
He was lucky to get it in half an hour, just in time to board the flight.
The high incidence of identity theft — all you need for an online purchase is the credit card number, the expiry date and the three-digit CVV number printed at the back — is the reason why airlines are insisting on fliers carrying photocopies of credit cards if their tickets have been booked by someone else.
“There have been several such frauds over the last six months,” a Jet Airways official said.
He said almost all airlines had this clause in their e-ticket rules, though very few were implementing it until recently. “Henceforth, if any passenger fails to show the photocopy of the credit card attested by its owner, the ticket will be cancelled and a fresh ticket issued. The owner of the card will get the refund,” the Jet official said.
The system is, however, far from foolproof. A card that is stolen can be used to buy tickets, photocopied and presented as proof of the purchase being bona fide. “If a person commits this kind of fraud, there is nothing one can do,” said an official at airport police station.
There have even been instances of hackers cracking online payment gateways with fake credit card numbers and purchasing tickets. In such cases, airlines incur losses.
Last month, the e-commerce department of Jet Airways asked its airport division to look out for a passenger booked on a Calcutta-Mumbai flight because of doubts about his online purchase. "We were asked to check the photocopy of the credit card and if the passenger failed to produce it, the ticket should be cancelled. The passenger did not turn up. It seems he had a hunch he would be caught," an official said.
Most frauds are committed by small-time tour operators. "Tickets are issued usually 24 hours before departure, giving us little time to detect the fraud," a Deccan official said.
"We advise passengers to buy tickets from authorised travel agents. They should not fall for unusually low fares offered by tour operators whose credentials are not known," said Anil Punjabi, chairman (east) of the Travel Agents’ Federation of India.
According to sources in the aviation industry, 5-7 per cent of airline tickets are bought online. Around 20 per cent are purchased with credit cards from travel agents.
By Sanjay Mandal
Credit card fraudsters target a Cotswold garage - thisisgloucestershire.co.uk - 09 Jul 2008
Dozens of customers of the Murco petrol station on the A40 at Andoversford were contacted by
their banks following suspicious withdrawals on their credit and debit card accounts – in countries such as Jamaica.
Police believe a skimming device that copies card information could have been fitted to the garage's credit card swipe machine.
Details were then used in cloned cards to withdraw money and buy goods.
Police searched the garage on Saturday as well as addresses in Cheltenham and Churchdown.
Filling station owner Ajitha Edirisinghe said his industry seemed to be “prone” to being targeted.
He said: “It's started everywhere in petrol stations but it's a shame it's happened to us.
“I feel so bad for all our customers because most are regulars.
“I've been here for six years and built up such a good relationship and never had such a problem before.
“Today we've been told to take over the system manually. We're ringing the card companies for authorisation for each transaction.
“We get 300 to 400 customers a day using their cards.
“It's going to cost me a lot because I've had to hire extra staff to cope.
“But we will ride this bad time and it's business as usual.”
The fraudulent transactions relate to cards used at the garage between May and the first week of June.
But investigating officers are keeping an open mind as to when customers had their data stolen and when the cards were actually cloned.
Murco UK and Mr Edirisinghe are co-operating fully with inquiries and the device has been seized for forensic examination.
North Cotswolds acting police Sergeant Tim Griffiths said: “We received the first report of possible credit card cloning relatively early last Thursday morning.
“It was soon apparent many in the area had fallen victim to numerous fraudulent transactions on their debit and credit cards.
“All high street banks have been informed of the issue and police inquiries are ongoing.”
Anyone who has used a credit card at the garage during the suspected time and noticed suspicious withdrawals from their account is advised to contact their bank immediately and then inform police on 0845 090 1234.
The rural garage hit the headlines in April 2007 when a robber showed part of a gun to a cashier and demanded the cash box containing £400.
their banks following suspicious withdrawals on their credit and debit card accounts – in countries such as Jamaica.
Police believe a skimming device that copies card information could have been fitted to the garage's credit card swipe machine.
Details were then used in cloned cards to withdraw money and buy goods.
Police searched the garage on Saturday as well as addresses in Cheltenham and Churchdown.
Filling station owner Ajitha Edirisinghe said his industry seemed to be “prone” to being targeted.
He said: “It's started everywhere in petrol stations but it's a shame it's happened to us.
“I feel so bad for all our customers because most are regulars.
“I've been here for six years and built up such a good relationship and never had such a problem before.
“Today we've been told to take over the system manually. We're ringing the card companies for authorisation for each transaction.
“We get 300 to 400 customers a day using their cards.
“It's going to cost me a lot because I've had to hire extra staff to cope.
“But we will ride this bad time and it's business as usual.”
The fraudulent transactions relate to cards used at the garage between May and the first week of June.
But investigating officers are keeping an open mind as to when customers had their data stolen and when the cards were actually cloned.
Murco UK and Mr Edirisinghe are co-operating fully with inquiries and the device has been seized for forensic examination.
North Cotswolds acting police Sergeant Tim Griffiths said: “We received the first report of possible credit card cloning relatively early last Thursday morning.
“It was soon apparent many in the area had fallen victim to numerous fraudulent transactions on their debit and credit cards.
“All high street banks have been informed of the issue and police inquiries are ongoing.”
Anyone who has used a credit card at the garage during the suspected time and noticed suspicious withdrawals from their account is advised to contact their bank immediately and then inform police on 0845 090 1234.
The rural garage hit the headlines in April 2007 when a robber showed part of a gun to a cashier and demanded the cash box containing £400.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
7-Eleven Responds to Citibank Hacker Case - csnews.com
DALLAS -- Hackers successfully accessed Citibank's network of ATMs inside 7-Eleven stores, stealing millions of dollars and personal information from unsuspecting customers, CSNews Online reported yesterday. It is estimated the breach began in October of last year. To date, it is unclear how many of Citibank's approximately 5,700 branded ATMs in 7-Eleven stores were impacted.
7-Eleven spokeswoman Margaret Chabris told CSNews Online: "7-Eleven Inc. is aware of the federal investigation in New York concerning ATM fraud that has apparently impacted Citi customers. It is 7-Eleven's policy not to comment on any aspects of this matter because it is an ongoing investigation."
Citibank, part of Citigroup Inc., has declined to comment on the technique or how many customers' accounts were compromised. It said it notified affected customers and issued them new debit cards.
"We want our customers to know that, consistent with legal requirements, we do not hold them responsible for fraudulent activity in their accounts," the bank said in a statement released last week.
Citibank does not own or operate the machines. The Houston-based Cardtronics Inc. owns all the machines, but only operates some, while the Brookfield, Wis.-based Fiserv Inc. operates the remaining machines.
"We understand that Citibank has already contacted any account holders who may have been impacted or that needed to receive a replacement card," said Chabris. "However, 7-Eleven is confident that its ATM provider, Cardtronics, has included the appropriate safeguards designed to prevent unauthorized access to our customers' personal data in the ATMs located in our stores today."
In other news, Unisys Corp.'s Canadian subsidiary, Unisys Canada, was awarded a contract from NEC Corp. of America to provide outsourced IT support services for 470 7-Eleven retail convenience stores throughout Canada.
"Unisys outsourcing expertise combined with NEC's retail solution integration skills will assist us in growing our 7-Eleven business in Canada," Sharon Stufflebeme, 7-Eleven's chief information officer, said in a released statement. "We'll be able to serve our customers more effectively and efficiently through enhanced in-store technology support."
Valued at $6 million over a three year term, the contract states that NEC Corp. of America is the prime contractor and will manage applications development and support for 7-Eleven Inc. Unisys Canada will provide maintenance and support services for IT back-office equipment, on-site wireless networks, point of sale (POS) and inventory ordering systems for the 470 Canadian 7-Eleven retail stores from Ontario to British Columbia.
"We look forward to working with Unisys on this important initiative," Naohide Takatani, general manager, Retail Solutions Group for NEC Corp., said in a released statement. "Drawing on Unisys expertise in technology support and maintenance in this engagement with 7-Eleven expands the range of benefits we can provide our client."
Bob Binns, president, Unisys Canada, said in a released statement: "Unisys is confident that in working with our partner NEC, we will provide 7-Eleven with a secure, flexible IT infrastructure that can accommodate its growing business in Canada."
7-Eleven spokeswoman Margaret Chabris told CSNews Online: "7-Eleven Inc. is aware of the federal investigation in New York concerning ATM fraud that has apparently impacted Citi customers. It is 7-Eleven's policy not to comment on any aspects of this matter because it is an ongoing investigation."
Citibank, part of Citigroup Inc., has declined to comment on the technique or how many customers' accounts were compromised. It said it notified affected customers and issued them new debit cards.
"We want our customers to know that, consistent with legal requirements, we do not hold them responsible for fraudulent activity in their accounts," the bank said in a statement released last week.
Citibank does not own or operate the machines. The Houston-based Cardtronics Inc. owns all the machines, but only operates some, while the Brookfield, Wis.-based Fiserv Inc. operates the remaining machines.
"We understand that Citibank has already contacted any account holders who may have been impacted or that needed to receive a replacement card," said Chabris. "However, 7-Eleven is confident that its ATM provider, Cardtronics, has included the appropriate safeguards designed to prevent unauthorized access to our customers' personal data in the ATMs located in our stores today."
In other news, Unisys Corp.'s Canadian subsidiary, Unisys Canada, was awarded a contract from NEC Corp. of America to provide outsourced IT support services for 470 7-Eleven retail convenience stores throughout Canada.
"Unisys outsourcing expertise combined with NEC's retail solution integration skills will assist us in growing our 7-Eleven business in Canada," Sharon Stufflebeme, 7-Eleven's chief information officer, said in a released statement. "We'll be able to serve our customers more effectively and efficiently through enhanced in-store technology support."
Valued at $6 million over a three year term, the contract states that NEC Corp. of America is the prime contractor and will manage applications development and support for 7-Eleven Inc. Unisys Canada will provide maintenance and support services for IT back-office equipment, on-site wireless networks, point of sale (POS) and inventory ordering systems for the 470 Canadian 7-Eleven retail stores from Ontario to British Columbia.
"We look forward to working with Unisys on this important initiative," Naohide Takatani, general manager, Retail Solutions Group for NEC Corp., said in a released statement. "Drawing on Unisys expertise in technology support and maintenance in this engagement with 7-Eleven expands the range of benefits we can provide our client."
Bob Binns, president, Unisys Canada, said in a released statement: "Unisys is confident that in working with our partner NEC, we will provide 7-Eleven with a secure, flexible IT infrastructure that can accommodate its growing business in Canada."
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Hackers crack cash machine PIN codes to steal millions - business.timesonline.co.uk - 03 Jul 2008
Millions of bank customers face a new threat to their money after it emerged yesterday that hackers had cracked PIN codes used in cash machines.
Citibank machines in 7-Eleven convenience stores across America were the target of the biggest and most effective remote PIN code theft scam in US banking history between last autumn and this spring when at least $2 million (£1 million) was stolen.
Details of the fraud have only now been made public, as the case makes its way through the US District Court for the Southern District of New York.
The alleged hackers — Yuriy Rakushchynets, Ivan Biltse and Angelina Kitaeva — are accused of stealing at least $2 million through the PIN scam and have been indicted on two counts each of conspiracy and fraud. It is thought that a much larger sum of money might have already been transferred to Russian bank accounts — and there are suggestions that the actual hacking was performed by another party, with the defendants simplyThe ring-leader of the three suspects is Mr Rakushchynets, a 32-year-old Ukrainian and a regular contributor to underground online credit card fraud forums. When he was arrested by the FBI — he was already under investigation for his suspected role in a separate $5 million hacking scam — agents found $800,000 of cash at his Brooklyn home, most of it stuffed into rubbish bags.
PIN codes have always been the most closely guarded secrets in banking transactions, and the are supposed to be encrypted the very second they are tapped into a keypad. Until recently, it was virtually impossible to get at them without physically looking over someone’s shoulder as theypunched in their digits to withdraw money. Indeed, scams involving strategically placed mirrors or tiny video cameras have become something of a common threat for banks.
Other cash machine crime has involved fraudsters setting up fake keyboards to glean PINs — or, for less sophisticated criminals, simply crashing a car into the wall of a bank and hoping it breaks open the part of the cash machine where the banknotes are stored. PIN codes have also been obtained through so-called e-mail “phishing” scams.
But technology has changed over the past few years. The infrastructure is now built on Microsoft’s Windows operating system, and the cash machines themselves can be remotely diagnosed and repaired online. Unfortunately, this means that PIN codes have started to “leak” along the way — suggesting that industry guidelines on encryption are not always being followed.
“PINs were supposed be sacrosanct,” says Avivah Litan, a security analyst with the Gartner research firm. “What this shows is that PINs aren’t always encrypted like they’re supposed to be. The banks need much better fraud detection systems and much better authentication.”
So far it is not clear how many Citibank customers were affected by the hackers. The bank has nearly 5,700 Citibank-branded cash machines inside 7-Eleven stores, but it does not own or operate any of them. The maintenance of the machines is carried out by two companies: Cardtronics, based in Texas, and Fiserve, based in Wisconsin.
It remains unknown — or at least undisclosed — exactly how the hackers infiltrated the closely guarded computer network, although it has been confirmed that they broke in through a server at a third-party processing company, meaning they almost certainly did not have to go anywhere near a cash machine or a 7-Eleven store. Once they obtained the PIN codes, the hackers could then simply make blank cards and use them to withdraw funds from compromised accounts at virtually any cash machine in the country.
Don Jackson, director of threat intelligence for the computer security company SecureWorks, said he had seen an “alarming” spike in the number of attacks on back-end computers for cash machine networks over the past year.
“What makes this case unique is the sheer luck of happening upon these guys and catching them red-handed,” he said. “But there are a whole lot of other and PIN compromises going on that aren’t reported.”
Citibank has declined to comment on the details of the case, saying only that it has notified affected customers and issued them with new debit cards. “We want our customers to know that, consistent with legal requirements, we do not hold them responsible for fraudulent activity in their accounts,” it said in a statement. Cardtronics has said it is co-operating with authorities, while Fiserv insists the intrusion did not happen on any of its servers.
“Fiserv is confident in the integrity and security of our system,” said a spokeswoman.
using second-hand information to make cash withdrawals. The wording of the indictment against them is vague
By Chris Ayres
Citibank machines in 7-Eleven convenience stores across America were the target of the biggest and most effective remote PIN code theft scam in US banking history between last autumn and this spring when at least $2 million (£1 million) was stolen.
Details of the fraud have only now been made public, as the case makes its way through the US District Court for the Southern District of New York.
The alleged hackers — Yuriy Rakushchynets, Ivan Biltse and Angelina Kitaeva — are accused of stealing at least $2 million through the PIN scam and have been indicted on two counts each of conspiracy and fraud. It is thought that a much larger sum of money might have already been transferred to Russian bank accounts — and there are suggestions that the actual hacking was performed by another party, with the defendants simplyThe ring-leader of the three suspects is Mr Rakushchynets, a 32-year-old Ukrainian and a regular contributor to underground online credit card fraud forums. When he was arrested by the FBI — he was already under investigation for his suspected role in a separate $5 million hacking scam — agents found $800,000 of cash at his Brooklyn home, most of it stuffed into rubbish bags.
PIN codes have always been the most closely guarded secrets in banking transactions, and the are supposed to be encrypted the very second they are tapped into a keypad. Until recently, it was virtually impossible to get at them without physically looking over someone’s shoulder as theypunched in their digits to withdraw money. Indeed, scams involving strategically placed mirrors or tiny video cameras have become something of a common threat for banks.
Other cash machine crime has involved fraudsters setting up fake keyboards to glean PINs — or, for less sophisticated criminals, simply crashing a car into the wall of a bank and hoping it breaks open the part of the cash machine where the banknotes are stored. PIN codes have also been obtained through so-called e-mail “phishing” scams.
But technology has changed over the past few years. The infrastructure is now built on Microsoft’s Windows operating system, and the cash machines themselves can be remotely diagnosed and repaired online. Unfortunately, this means that PIN codes have started to “leak” along the way — suggesting that industry guidelines on encryption are not always being followed.
“PINs were supposed be sacrosanct,” says Avivah Litan, a security analyst with the Gartner research firm. “What this shows is that PINs aren’t always encrypted like they’re supposed to be. The banks need much better fraud detection systems and much better authentication.”
So far it is not clear how many Citibank customers were affected by the hackers. The bank has nearly 5,700 Citibank-branded cash machines inside 7-Eleven stores, but it does not own or operate any of them. The maintenance of the machines is carried out by two companies: Cardtronics, based in Texas, and Fiserve, based in Wisconsin.
It remains unknown — or at least undisclosed — exactly how the hackers infiltrated the closely guarded computer network, although it has been confirmed that they broke in through a server at a third-party processing company, meaning they almost certainly did not have to go anywhere near a cash machine or a 7-Eleven store. Once they obtained the PIN codes, the hackers could then simply make blank cards and use them to withdraw funds from compromised accounts at virtually any cash machine in the country.
Don Jackson, director of threat intelligence for the computer security company SecureWorks, said he had seen an “alarming” spike in the number of attacks on back-end computers for cash machine networks over the past year.
“What makes this case unique is the sheer luck of happening upon these guys and catching them red-handed,” he said. “But there are a whole lot of other and PIN compromises going on that aren’t reported.”
Citibank has declined to comment on the details of the case, saying only that it has notified affected customers and issued them with new debit cards. “We want our customers to know that, consistent with legal requirements, we do not hold them responsible for fraudulent activity in their accounts,” it said in a statement. Cardtronics has said it is co-operating with authorities, while Fiserv insists the intrusion did not happen on any of its servers.
“Fiserv is confident in the integrity and security of our system,” said a spokeswoman.
using second-hand information to make cash withdrawals. The wording of the indictment against them is vague
By Chris Ayres
Credit CardRacket Busted - Times of India - 03 Jul 2008
NEW DELHI: Three Nigerian nationals have been arrested by the police from South Extension market on Tuesday for allegedly running an international credit racket in the Capital. Seven cloned credit cards were seized from the accused, who used them to buy electronics and other goods from upscale markets in Delhi. More arrests in the racket are expected.
The crime branch stepped up action on receiving a complaint from a bank that a fake credit card is being used for purchase at a South Extension market. They later apprehended the suspects on Tuesday.
Interrogation of the accused revealed that they had been using fake credit cards to do shopping in Delhi. A S Cheema, DCP, (crime and railways), informed that, "the accused had procured the cards from a friend in Nigeria. A laptop and seven mobile phones were seized from them. The laptop contained data of about 200 international credit cards."
The police also seized three mobile phones which the accused had purchased using the fake credit cards. One of the mobiles had details of six credit cards in it. A police remand has been sought for further investigation.
Those arrested have been identified as Abayomi Anifowoshe (30), Evans Amathila Imadonmwinyi (32) and Bawwa (29). Police said Abayomi arrived in India in June 2008 in Mumbai for medical treatment of his wife who is yet to come to India.
He stayed in Mumbai with a friend for a week before coming to Delhi. He had been sharing a room with co-accused Bawwa at Arjun Nagar. Evans had been renting a place near Safadarjung airport. He came to India last year on a tourist visa. The third accused, Bawwa, came to India in March this year for a kidney surgery at Batra Hospital. "The three accused met through their contacts and received details of the credit cards through their contacts in Delhi," said a senior police officer.
The crime branch stepped up action on receiving a complaint from a bank that a fake credit card is being used for purchase at a South Extension market. They later apprehended the suspects on Tuesday.
Interrogation of the accused revealed that they had been using fake credit cards to do shopping in Delhi. A S Cheema, DCP, (crime and railways), informed that, "the accused had procured the cards from a friend in Nigeria. A laptop and seven mobile phones were seized from them. The laptop contained data of about 200 international credit cards."
The police also seized three mobile phones which the accused had purchased using the fake credit cards. One of the mobiles had details of six credit cards in it. A police remand has been sought for further investigation.
Those arrested have been identified as Abayomi Anifowoshe (30), Evans Amathila Imadonmwinyi (32) and Bawwa (29). Police said Abayomi arrived in India in June 2008 in Mumbai for medical treatment of his wife who is yet to come to India.
He stayed in Mumbai with a friend for a week before coming to Delhi. He had been sharing a room with co-accused Bawwa at Arjun Nagar. Evans had been renting a place near Safadarjung airport. He came to India last year on a tourist visa. The third accused, Bawwa, came to India in March this year for a kidney surgery at Batra Hospital. "The three accused met through their contacts and received details of the credit cards through their contacts in Delhi," said a senior police officer.
Credit card fraud worth over Rs 25 lakh busted, 3 arrested - Expressindia.com - 01 Jul 2008
Mumbai, June 30 The Mumbai Police Crime Branch claims to have busted a credit card fraud worth over Rs 25 lakh after it arrested three accused who allegedly used credit card details of over 100 customers to purchase online airline tickets and mobile phone refills, and even to procure a bank loan.
The arrested accused have been identified as Sandeep Mullick (25), a resident of Mazgaon, and Shakeel Shaikh (23) and Mohammed Miya Umedin (27), both Sewri Cross Road residents. They were arrested by Unit 1 of the Crime Branch on June 20, and have been remanded to police custody till July 1. As per the police, the amount involved in the fraud is estimated to be between Rs 25 to 30 lakh.
According to the Crime Branch, Mullick was working as a courier boy for an agency called Supreet Data Tech Ltd., which was outsourced by Barclays Bank for credit card application procedures. "Customers would be contacted over the phone for credit cards or loans offered by Barclays Bank. Supreet Data Tech Ltd. is responsible for collecting the necessary documents provided by the applicants, who would also provide details of credit cards they already had in their name. Mullick would photocopy these documents, and hand them to the other two accused for a sum of Rs 200 per case. Shaikh and Umedin would then go to a cyber cafe and misuse these credit card details for online transactions. Barclays Bank and Supreet Data Tech Ltd. were not in the know about Mullick's illegal activities," said Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Rakesh Maria.
"Shaikh and Umedin used the credit card details to purchase 180 airline tickets online. These were domestic flights from Mumbai to Delhi, Jaipur, Lucknow and Rajkot. They also made about 300 transactions for mobile phone recharge ranging from Rs 201 to Rs 3,999. Finally, they also procured a loan of Rs 1.69 lakh from Citibank. The total fraud is estimated to be between Rs 25 to 30 lakh," said Maria.
The Crime Branch is now on the lookout for two more suspects in the case. "Mullick sold the details to four accused, two of whom have been arrested. He collected documents from 567 applicants, of which 125 had previous credit cards. Of the 180 airline tickets they bought, they used 84 for their personal use and sold the remaining. The total mobile phone refills amount to Rs 17,000. This racket has been on since December last year," said Senior Police Inspector Ramesh Mahale of Crime Branch Unit 1.
The arrested accused have been identified as Sandeep Mullick (25), a resident of Mazgaon, and Shakeel Shaikh (23) and Mohammed Miya Umedin (27), both Sewri Cross Road residents. They were arrested by Unit 1 of the Crime Branch on June 20, and have been remanded to police custody till July 1. As per the police, the amount involved in the fraud is estimated to be between Rs 25 to 30 lakh.
According to the Crime Branch, Mullick was working as a courier boy for an agency called Supreet Data Tech Ltd., which was outsourced by Barclays Bank for credit card application procedures. "Customers would be contacted over the phone for credit cards or loans offered by Barclays Bank. Supreet Data Tech Ltd. is responsible for collecting the necessary documents provided by the applicants, who would also provide details of credit cards they already had in their name. Mullick would photocopy these documents, and hand them to the other two accused for a sum of Rs 200 per case. Shaikh and Umedin would then go to a cyber cafe and misuse these credit card details for online transactions. Barclays Bank and Supreet Data Tech Ltd. were not in the know about Mullick's illegal activities," said Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Rakesh Maria.
"Shaikh and Umedin used the credit card details to purchase 180 airline tickets online. These were domestic flights from Mumbai to Delhi, Jaipur, Lucknow and Rajkot. They also made about 300 transactions for mobile phone recharge ranging from Rs 201 to Rs 3,999. Finally, they also procured a loan of Rs 1.69 lakh from Citibank. The total fraud is estimated to be between Rs 25 to 30 lakh," said Maria.
The Crime Branch is now on the lookout for two more suspects in the case. "Mullick sold the details to four accused, two of whom have been arrested. He collected documents from 567 applicants, of which 125 had previous credit cards. Of the 180 airline tickets they bought, they used 84 for their personal use and sold the remaining. The total mobile phone refills amount to Rs 17,000. This racket has been on since December last year," said Senior Police Inspector Ramesh Mahale of Crime Branch Unit 1.
FBI Investigating Major ATM Hacking Ring - lasvegasnow.com - 02 Jul 2008
The FBI has caught a group of cyber thieves who are accused of hacking into Citibank's ATM system and stealing millions from unsuspecting customers.
Metro Police says this crime proves even savvy consumers who guard their ATM cards can fall prey to the growing trend of cyber crime.
The FBI says the hackers would target Citibank ATM's inside 7-11 stores.
The bureau says the suspects didn't even have to touch the machines, they just hacked into the software system. When a customer would type in their pin, it would then transfer to the suspect's computers, allowing them to steal cash right from their accounts.
Citibank officials aren't saying how many customer accounts were compromised, but investigators believe the ATM hacking had been going on from October of 2007 to March of 2008. All affected customers have been notified.
Federal prosecutors in New York say a group of identity thieves were able you find a security hole in the ATM systems and steal the customers pin numbers. Officials say they got away with millions before the FBI finally caught up.
"If someone can access, what in theory should be an encrypted system and someone hacks into it, I can see how someone would feel uneasy about that," said Jacinto Rivera with Metro Police.
Officers warn people to stand guard when taking money from the ATM. But the latest case proves that looking over your shoulder just isn't good enough anymore.
"It makes me not want to use the ATM's at the convince stores," said Zachary Tawresey.
Tech savvy criminals are moving away from older methods and are infiltrating the machines operating system, leaving no sings of tampering. Investigators aren't saying how they did it.
"I feel a little safer by doing it at the bank because they have more control over technology," said Tawresey.
According to the Associated Press, that's not true. The banking industry has pushed for tougher encryption standards but some ATM operators aren't doing it properly.
There are more than 5,000 Citibank ATM's in 7-11's across the country including several here in the valley. Investigators believe the suspects got away with at least $2 million. All three have been charged with conspiracy and fraud.
Metro Police says this crime proves even savvy consumers who guard their ATM cards can fall prey to the growing trend of cyber crime.
The FBI says the hackers would target Citibank ATM's inside 7-11 stores.
The bureau says the suspects didn't even have to touch the machines, they just hacked into the software system. When a customer would type in their pin, it would then transfer to the suspect's computers, allowing them to steal cash right from their accounts.
Citibank officials aren't saying how many customer accounts were compromised, but investigators believe the ATM hacking had been going on from October of 2007 to March of 2008. All affected customers have been notified.
Federal prosecutors in New York say a group of identity thieves were able you find a security hole in the ATM systems and steal the customers pin numbers. Officials say they got away with millions before the FBI finally caught up.
"If someone can access, what in theory should be an encrypted system and someone hacks into it, I can see how someone would feel uneasy about that," said Jacinto Rivera with Metro Police.
Officers warn people to stand guard when taking money from the ATM. But the latest case proves that looking over your shoulder just isn't good enough anymore.
"It makes me not want to use the ATM's at the convince stores," said Zachary Tawresey.
Tech savvy criminals are moving away from older methods and are infiltrating the machines operating system, leaving no sings of tampering. Investigators aren't saying how they did it.
"I feel a little safer by doing it at the bank because they have more control over technology," said Tawresey.
According to the Associated Press, that's not true. The banking industry has pushed for tougher encryption standards but some ATM operators aren't doing it properly.
There are more than 5,000 Citibank ATM's in 7-11's across the country including several here in the valley. Investigators believe the suspects got away with at least $2 million. All three have been charged with conspiracy and fraud.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Trouble on the cards for holidaymakers in fraud crackdown - business.scotsman.com – 29 Jun 2008
HUNDREDS of thousands of holidaymakers face having their credit cards rejected by shops, bars and restaurants this summer as card companies engage in an unprecedented crackdown against fraud, writes Nic Cicutti.
Evidence is mounting of a record number of transactions being turned down by card machines across continental Europe in a bid to stamp down on fraudulent use abroad.
Problems in obtaining credit while abroad come as UK holidaymakers look set to wi
ADVERTISEMENT
thdraw a record £7bn from overseas cash machines this year and spend up to £5bn more with their cards during on a foreign break.
Credit card companies deny they are taking part in a coordinated campaign where suspect card use is being rejected. They say such decisions are always at the discretion of individual issuers.
A spokesman at the Apacs, the banks' payment system trade body, says: "We know of no collective strategy to clamp down on card usage abroad. All we can surmise is that issuers are looking at people's transactions and making decisions based on what they see happening in each individual case."
However, in one recent example, dozens of Lambretta scooter riders travelling to a rally in Sweden last week found that their cards were being rejected by petrol stations, restaurants and shops there and in Denmark. In many cases, several cards were turned down in succession, leaving their owners to borrow cash off friends in order to continue their journey.
One rider who attended the event said: "It was incredible. I was in a group of about 10 riders and the further we went on the more people were having their cards rejected at service stations. By the end, almost everyone in our little group had several pieces of useless plastic in their wallets. When we got to the main campsite we discovered lots of others with the same experience."
Despite the introduction of Chip and Pin cards, which were meant to make life much more difficult for criminals, total losses from card fraud while abroad grew by more than 85% in 2007 to £207m. At £532m, total fraud is higher than it has ever been.
The most important growth in fraud has come from overseas. The main reason for this is that not all EU countries (or the US) operate a Chip and Pin system. This means it is possible for criminals to skim your card and counterfeit it by making the old-style magnetic stripe on it.
The card can then be used abroad, especially in Italy, Australia and the US, which have no plans to implement Chip and Pin.
A spokesman at Barclaycard denies that his company is targeting holidaymakers. "That's the very last thing we want to do," he says. "What is happening, however, is that our security systems are becoming increasingly sophisticated an identifying patterns of suspicious transactions.
"Clearly, if in one week you have been using your credit card to do the shopping in a certain supermarket and the next you are in Sweden, paying for petrol several times over in one day, that will be totally different spending pattern and our systems will pick up on that."
The spokesman adds that Barclaycard is to start asking its cardholders to inform the company of when they are planning to go away, where and how long for. In addition, cardholders are being asked to supply a contact number where they can be reached in order for its staff to clarify any potentially dubious transactions before they are accepted or rejected.
Having your card rejected is not the only danger for holidaymakers. Even if a card is accepted, research suggests many could be paying through the nose for the privilege.
The financial website MoneyExpert.com says the cost of withdrawing cash abroad can vary dramatically between providers. With an average cash withdrawal abroad of £103, debit card holders will pay on average an additional £4.12 in charges, and credit card holders £4.33.
Sean Gardner of MoneyExpert.com says: "Withdrawing cash from an ATM or over the counter whilst abroad can be the most convenient way of getting hold of your money. It's also safe and simple. However, most people will have to pay for the privilege and some will pay considerably more than others."
The consumer group Which? says people making purchases on their debit or credit card abroad could face fees of more than £20 if they spend £500 on holiday. Most cards add a foreign exchange loading fee of 2.75%, and debit cards usually add a handling fee for each purchase.
Which? says the best options are Nationwide's debit card, while credit cards from Abbey, Nationwide, the Post Office, Saga or Thomas Cook don't add fees for overseas spending.
How to play your cards right when you go abroad
Before you go overseas:
• Only take cards with you that you intend to use.
• Take your card company's 24-hour phone number with you. Tell the issuer you are going abroad.
• Make sure your card company has your latest contact details.
Evidence is mounting of a record number of transactions being turned down by card machines across continental Europe in a bid to stamp down on fraudulent use abroad.
Problems in obtaining credit while abroad come as UK holidaymakers look set to wi
ADVERTISEMENT
thdraw a record £7bn from overseas cash machines this year and spend up to £5bn more with their cards during on a foreign break.
Credit card companies deny they are taking part in a coordinated campaign where suspect card use is being rejected. They say such decisions are always at the discretion of individual issuers.
A spokesman at the Apacs, the banks' payment system trade body, says: "We know of no collective strategy to clamp down on card usage abroad. All we can surmise is that issuers are looking at people's transactions and making decisions based on what they see happening in each individual case."
However, in one recent example, dozens of Lambretta scooter riders travelling to a rally in Sweden last week found that their cards were being rejected by petrol stations, restaurants and shops there and in Denmark. In many cases, several cards were turned down in succession, leaving their owners to borrow cash off friends in order to continue their journey.
One rider who attended the event said: "It was incredible. I was in a group of about 10 riders and the further we went on the more people were having their cards rejected at service stations. By the end, almost everyone in our little group had several pieces of useless plastic in their wallets. When we got to the main campsite we discovered lots of others with the same experience."
Despite the introduction of Chip and Pin cards, which were meant to make life much more difficult for criminals, total losses from card fraud while abroad grew by more than 85% in 2007 to £207m. At £532m, total fraud is higher than it has ever been.
The most important growth in fraud has come from overseas. The main reason for this is that not all EU countries (or the US) operate a Chip and Pin system. This means it is possible for criminals to skim your card and counterfeit it by making the old-style magnetic stripe on it.
The card can then be used abroad, especially in Italy, Australia and the US, which have no plans to implement Chip and Pin.
A spokesman at Barclaycard denies that his company is targeting holidaymakers. "That's the very last thing we want to do," he says. "What is happening, however, is that our security systems are becoming increasingly sophisticated an identifying patterns of suspicious transactions.
"Clearly, if in one week you have been using your credit card to do the shopping in a certain supermarket and the next you are in Sweden, paying for petrol several times over in one day, that will be totally different spending pattern and our systems will pick up on that."
The spokesman adds that Barclaycard is to start asking its cardholders to inform the company of when they are planning to go away, where and how long for. In addition, cardholders are being asked to supply a contact number where they can be reached in order for its staff to clarify any potentially dubious transactions before they are accepted or rejected.
Having your card rejected is not the only danger for holidaymakers. Even if a card is accepted, research suggests many could be paying through the nose for the privilege.
The financial website MoneyExpert.com says the cost of withdrawing cash abroad can vary dramatically between providers. With an average cash withdrawal abroad of £103, debit card holders will pay on average an additional £4.12 in charges, and credit card holders £4.33.
Sean Gardner of MoneyExpert.com says: "Withdrawing cash from an ATM or over the counter whilst abroad can be the most convenient way of getting hold of your money. It's also safe and simple. However, most people will have to pay for the privilege and some will pay considerably more than others."
The consumer group Which? says people making purchases on their debit or credit card abroad could face fees of more than £20 if they spend £500 on holiday. Most cards add a foreign exchange loading fee of 2.75%, and debit cards usually add a handling fee for each purchase.
Which? says the best options are Nationwide's debit card, while credit cards from Abbey, Nationwide, the Post Office, Saga or Thomas Cook don't add fees for overseas spending.
How to play your cards right when you go abroad
Before you go overseas:
• Only take cards with you that you intend to use.
• Take your card company's 24-hour phone number with you. Tell the issuer you are going abroad.
• Make sure your card company has your latest contact details.
Dutch police have arrested a 20-year-old man suspected of hacking on the internet and stealing the details of 50,000 credit cards- 28 Jun 2008.
Dutch police have arrested a 20-year-old man suspected of hacking on the internet and stealing the details of 50,000 credit cards.
The man, detained in Maastricht on Tuesday (local time), is also alleged to have hacked into the server of a US gamemaker and stolen a copy of award-winning videogame Enemy Territory: Quake War - while it was in development.
Police seized the man's computer and a gun during their search of his home.
He is thought to have used the credit card identities, obtained through a British ticketing agency, to make numerous online purchases, racking up $US20 million of infrastructure damage along the way.
The man, detained in Maastricht on Tuesday (local time), is also alleged to have hacked into the server of a US gamemaker and stolen a copy of award-winning videogame Enemy Territory: Quake War - while it was in development.
Police seized the man's computer and a gun during their search of his home.
He is thought to have used the credit card identities, obtained through a British ticketing agency, to make numerous online purchases, racking up $US20 million of infrastructure damage along the way.
The inside story of ATM fraud - sunnewsonline.com - 28 Jun 2008
Until the unthinkable happened, Adah Obande had always prided himself as a streetwise Nigerian. So streetwise he had never been a victim of pickpocket, burglary, room-to- let fraud, 419 scam or some high profile swindle. Caution was second nature to him; after all he was a security personnel trained to be one step ahead of criminals and their modus operandi. Both in his professional and private life his reflexes had never failed him as he had never lost a possession to a thief. However, his ironclad confidence was put to the test shortly after his return to Lagos from the last Christmas holiday.
Prior to the Yuletide, Obande had left the sum of N288,000 in his bank account. The last withdrawals he remembered doing were for the sum of N50,000.
Specifically, he withdrew first the sum of N20,000 from the Obalende branch of his bank. Then on 22nd December, the very day he set off for the village, he made another withdrawal of N30,000, this time using the Automated Teller Machine (ATM) at the Falomo branch of the same bank.
If his arithmetic was correct, Obande still had a tidy sum to start the New Year on a bright note. Unknown to him, he was in for a shock treatment as he glided across the polish floor of the bank to the counter. The cashier punched her buttons and then gave Obande an awkward look. “Sir, are you expecting any lodgement?” she asked as pleasantly as she could.
Obande was not expecting any deposit. He still had N288,000 left with the bank. Or so he thought. His account was in the red. He urged the cashier to check again, insisting there was a mistake somewhere. It was only a matter of minutes before the full explanation was given to him. The man almost had a heart attack as he was told that the N288,000 had been withdrawn via the ATM.
Before this shocker in the banking hall, Obande indeed had tried to withdraw some money in the morning of January 7th, 2008, using the ATM. At first, he had thought there was a problem with his ATM card because no matter how hard he punched, the machine kept telling him his account was empty. When he realized he might be in for a long haul, Obande accepted the advice of the bank staff at the Falomo branch of the bank to proceed to the bank’s headquarter at Marina. There he was handed over to one Mr. Tony who in recent times has found his job a little bit more fatiguing. Like his counterparts in almost all the banks, his desk is flooded on a daily basis with ATM-related complaints.
Investigations into Obande account would reveal that two faceless companies swept his N288,000 using the ATM.
The companies, or rather their addresses were given as www.immigration.com and www.earocontractor.com. The victim swore the companies did not belong to him. He never worked for them and had no business relationship with them. The theft was later reported to the Special Fraud Unit of the Nigeria Police.
On Thursday, June 5, between the hours of 1.20-3.10 p.m, this reporter was in the premises of the Opebi branch of First Bank, observing ATM users and their seeming frustrations. Of the 26 customers that used the cash dispenser within this period, not a few came out cursing under their breath. The issues ranged from cards trapped inside the machine to PIN (Personal Identification Number) rejection.
One particular customer, a middle-aged man was left with little choice but to cause a scene as he protested that the machine had cheated him.
Before his very eyes, the ATM machine had processed his request but instead of dispensing the cash, the machine merely opened his mouth, brandished the crisp notes for the eager customer to see, and then swallowed the money all by itself. For his troubles, the bewildered customer received instead a receipt of transaction showing he had just successfully withdrawn N15,000. A security guard, who from his grin was obviously familiar with the various ATM antics, did his best to calm and reassure the agitated customer. He would lead him inside the bank’s building to lay complaint on yet another ATM ruse.
If the myriad incidences witnessed that day at Opebi could be glossed over as part of the teething problem of e-payment system introduced to the economy only a few years ago, the same cannot be said of the loss last week of N175,000 to ATM fraudsters.
The victim, this time, is a media practitioner. The man, Mr. Iheanachor, told SATURDAY SUN that on the particular day, he had first attempted to withdraw some money using the ATM in the premises of Guarantee Trust Bank in the Okota area of Lagos. When that proved unsuccessful, he proceeded to Zenith Bank at the same Okota. The outcome was grimly the same. A third attempt, this time at Eko Bank in the same neighbourhood fetched him N20,000 cash. For him, the end would have justified all the troubles but for a text message that came some hours later from his bankers, Intercontinental Bank, informing him that N175,000 had been withdrawn from his account via the ATM. From bank records, the N175,000 was withdrawn in eight transactions. The account holder said he knew nothing about those withdrawals. The matter is under investigation.
On the rise
Every week, hundreds of bank customers across the major cities are finding their deposits or a substantial part of it stolen by faceless crooks. Sources within the Special Fraud Unit (SFU) confirmed that ATM fraud is on the increase in Nigeria. The statistic is alarming. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) puts the losses to ATM-related theft last year alone at hundreds of millions of naira. It is about the commonest headache to all the banks in Nigeria and one seen by experts as capable of eroding in the long run the enviable gains of recapitalisation. At the moment,
By EMMANUEL MAYAH
Prior to the Yuletide, Obande had left the sum of N288,000 in his bank account. The last withdrawals he remembered doing were for the sum of N50,000.
Specifically, he withdrew first the sum of N20,000 from the Obalende branch of his bank. Then on 22nd December, the very day he set off for the village, he made another withdrawal of N30,000, this time using the Automated Teller Machine (ATM) at the Falomo branch of the same bank.
If his arithmetic was correct, Obande still had a tidy sum to start the New Year on a bright note. Unknown to him, he was in for a shock treatment as he glided across the polish floor of the bank to the counter. The cashier punched her buttons and then gave Obande an awkward look. “Sir, are you expecting any lodgement?” she asked as pleasantly as she could.
Obande was not expecting any deposit. He still had N288,000 left with the bank. Or so he thought. His account was in the red. He urged the cashier to check again, insisting there was a mistake somewhere. It was only a matter of minutes before the full explanation was given to him. The man almost had a heart attack as he was told that the N288,000 had been withdrawn via the ATM.
Before this shocker in the banking hall, Obande indeed had tried to withdraw some money in the morning of January 7th, 2008, using the ATM. At first, he had thought there was a problem with his ATM card because no matter how hard he punched, the machine kept telling him his account was empty. When he realized he might be in for a long haul, Obande accepted the advice of the bank staff at the Falomo branch of the bank to proceed to the bank’s headquarter at Marina. There he was handed over to one Mr. Tony who in recent times has found his job a little bit more fatiguing. Like his counterparts in almost all the banks, his desk is flooded on a daily basis with ATM-related complaints.
Investigations into Obande account would reveal that two faceless companies swept his N288,000 using the ATM.
The companies, or rather their addresses were given as www.immigration.com and www.earocontractor.com. The victim swore the companies did not belong to him. He never worked for them and had no business relationship with them. The theft was later reported to the Special Fraud Unit of the Nigeria Police.
On Thursday, June 5, between the hours of 1.20-3.10 p.m, this reporter was in the premises of the Opebi branch of First Bank, observing ATM users and their seeming frustrations. Of the 26 customers that used the cash dispenser within this period, not a few came out cursing under their breath. The issues ranged from cards trapped inside the machine to PIN (Personal Identification Number) rejection.
One particular customer, a middle-aged man was left with little choice but to cause a scene as he protested that the machine had cheated him.
Before his very eyes, the ATM machine had processed his request but instead of dispensing the cash, the machine merely opened his mouth, brandished the crisp notes for the eager customer to see, and then swallowed the money all by itself. For his troubles, the bewildered customer received instead a receipt of transaction showing he had just successfully withdrawn N15,000. A security guard, who from his grin was obviously familiar with the various ATM antics, did his best to calm and reassure the agitated customer. He would lead him inside the bank’s building to lay complaint on yet another ATM ruse.
If the myriad incidences witnessed that day at Opebi could be glossed over as part of the teething problem of e-payment system introduced to the economy only a few years ago, the same cannot be said of the loss last week of N175,000 to ATM fraudsters.
The victim, this time, is a media practitioner. The man, Mr. Iheanachor, told SATURDAY SUN that on the particular day, he had first attempted to withdraw some money using the ATM in the premises of Guarantee Trust Bank in the Okota area of Lagos. When that proved unsuccessful, he proceeded to Zenith Bank at the same Okota. The outcome was grimly the same. A third attempt, this time at Eko Bank in the same neighbourhood fetched him N20,000 cash. For him, the end would have justified all the troubles but for a text message that came some hours later from his bankers, Intercontinental Bank, informing him that N175,000 had been withdrawn from his account via the ATM. From bank records, the N175,000 was withdrawn in eight transactions. The account holder said he knew nothing about those withdrawals. The matter is under investigation.
On the rise
Every week, hundreds of bank customers across the major cities are finding their deposits or a substantial part of it stolen by faceless crooks. Sources within the Special Fraud Unit (SFU) confirmed that ATM fraud is on the increase in Nigeria. The statistic is alarming. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) puts the losses to ATM-related theft last year alone at hundreds of millions of naira. It is about the commonest headache to all the banks in Nigeria and one seen by experts as capable of eroding in the long run the enviable gains of recapitalisation. At the moment,
By EMMANUEL MAYAH
Two Romanians remanded for credit card scam - cyprus-mail.com
TWO MEN, a 45-year-old and a 21-year-old, both from Romania are in remand, suspected of stealing over €22,000 from ATMs in Limassol using fake credit cards.
The two men were arrested yesterday, after police received information from a bank clerk that someone was trying to withdraw money from an ATM using a fake credit card.
Police arrived at the scene immediately and saw the 45-year-old walking in the area; he was stopped and searched. The 45-year-old was accompanied by a 21-year-old compatriot of his who was traced in a hotel and arrested, said Andreas Angelides, Limassol Police Chief.
Police searched the men’s hotel room and found €22,000 and UK?4,000. Following investigation it was found that 37 transactions were made using fake credit cards at ATMs throughout Limassol.
Angelides also confirmed that police are investigating the men’s involvement in similar cases that took place in Larnaca, as well as the possibility that they belong to an international network.
Europol had previously alerted Cyprus police on the operation of an international network that steals money from ATMs using fake cards. Europol and Interpol have been informed of yesterday’s arrests.
The two suspects yesterday appeared before Limassol District Court, which issued an eight day remand.
By Anna Hassapi
The two men were arrested yesterday, after police received information from a bank clerk that someone was trying to withdraw money from an ATM using a fake credit card.
Police arrived at the scene immediately and saw the 45-year-old walking in the area; he was stopped and searched. The 45-year-old was accompanied by a 21-year-old compatriot of his who was traced in a hotel and arrested, said Andreas Angelides, Limassol Police Chief.
Police searched the men’s hotel room and found €22,000 and UK?4,000. Following investigation it was found that 37 transactions were made using fake credit cards at ATMs throughout Limassol.
Angelides also confirmed that police are investigating the men’s involvement in similar cases that took place in Larnaca, as well as the possibility that they belong to an international network.
Europol had previously alerted Cyprus police on the operation of an international network that steals money from ATMs using fake cards. Europol and Interpol have been informed of yesterday’s arrests.
The two suspects yesterday appeared before Limassol District Court, which issued an eight day remand.
By Anna Hassapi
Monday, June 23, 2008
Student held for international card fraud
Chennai: A 20-year-old final year commerce student was arrested here on Tuesday for allegedly swindling credit card holders abroad to the tune of Rs.400,000, the police said.
Bharat Raj Purohit was arrested from a northern suburb here following a complaint from ebay.com, an online trading company.
He had been allegedly tipped off about the loopholes in the trade by two people based in Mumbai and Ahmedabad, a police official in the cyber crime department said.
Purohit swindled credit card holders of US, Canada and Russia after fraudulently obtaining secret access codes. He purchased computers, music systems and other IT accessories.
Approximately Rs.40,000 cash was also seized from him.
Bharat Raj Purohit was arrested from a northern suburb here following a complaint from ebay.com, an online trading company.
He had been allegedly tipped off about the loopholes in the trade by two people based in Mumbai and Ahmedabad, a police official in the cyber crime department said.
Purohit swindled credit card holders of US, Canada and Russia after fraudulently obtaining secret access codes. He purchased computers, music systems and other IT accessories.
Approximately Rs.40,000 cash was also seized from him.
MUMBAI: Three persons, including a Nigerian, were arrested by the Powai police on Friday for duping a shop selling mobile phones by using international credit cards.
They were caught when they went to the same shop for the second time in less than three days.
According to the police, the accused knew that the payments made through international credit cards were cleared after more than 24 hours and they used this lag to dupe a retail chain.
On Wednesday, four persons, including two Nigerians, visited
The Mobile Store at Marol Maroshi in Andheri and bought an i-pod and three mobile phones worth Rs85,547 using credit cards.
The amount didn’t get credited to the shop’s account and manager Ketan Bareya alerted his employees, who got the accused arrested when they tried to dupe them the second time.
A total of 11 international credit cards of several banks were recovered from the trio - main suspect Iyo Kayode (30), a Nigerian, and co-accused Mukesh Atiya (27) and Kalpesh Kachariya (21) - both graduates and residents of Goregaon. Police are looking for their fourth accomplice, Steve Watson — a Nigerian.
The police have booked the trio on charges of cheating, forging and common intention under the Indian Penal Code - they have been remanded in police custody till June 19.
“On Wednesday, two youths came to the shop and selected an i-pod and three mobile phones. After selecting the items, they called two Nigerians who were waiting outside the shop and Watson made the payment through a credit card which he claimed was his,” Bareya said.
Bareya said when the money wasn’t credited into this account even after a day, he alerted his employees. “A day later, the accused again called up at the shop to enquire whether we had any costly mobile phones. They then visited the shop, selected a few mobile phones and placed the credit card for payment. The first two cards declined payment. Not letting them get the whiff of our suspicion, we made them wait in the shop and informed the police,” Bareya said.
About 20 branches of The Mobile Store in the city were duped by the accused. “Nigerians were involved in all the fraud transactions and they had duped the store of Rs15 lakh over a month or two,” Bareya said.
“Atiya, who owns a mobile phone shop in Goregaon, befriended the Nigerians this year when they visited his shop. The Nigerians offered him a mobile phone for every con,” said senior inspector Rajdoot Rupwate of the Powai police station. Rupwate said Atiya sold those handsets at his shop.
Sub-inspector Sanjay Joshi said while Atiya and Kachariya finalised the deal, Kayode and Watson paid using forged credit cards.
“According to the banks’ rule, if a person shops for over Rs10,000 on credit card heshe has to submit an identity proof to the shop. We are verifying whether the cards recovered are actually owned by someone living outside India. Investigations are on to find their involvement in other such cases,” said Joshi.
By V Narayan
They were caught when they went to the same shop for the second time in less than three days.
According to the police, the accused knew that the payments made through international credit cards were cleared after more than 24 hours and they used this lag to dupe a retail chain.
On Wednesday, four persons, including two Nigerians, visited
The Mobile Store at Marol Maroshi in Andheri and bought an i-pod and three mobile phones worth Rs85,547 using credit cards.
The amount didn’t get credited to the shop’s account and manager Ketan Bareya alerted his employees, who got the accused arrested when they tried to dupe them the second time.
A total of 11 international credit cards of several banks were recovered from the trio - main suspect Iyo Kayode (30), a Nigerian, and co-accused Mukesh Atiya (27) and Kalpesh Kachariya (21) - both graduates and residents of Goregaon. Police are looking for their fourth accomplice, Steve Watson — a Nigerian.
The police have booked the trio on charges of cheating, forging and common intention under the Indian Penal Code - they have been remanded in police custody till June 19.
“On Wednesday, two youths came to the shop and selected an i-pod and three mobile phones. After selecting the items, they called two Nigerians who were waiting outside the shop and Watson made the payment through a credit card which he claimed was his,” Bareya said.
Bareya said when the money wasn’t credited into this account even after a day, he alerted his employees. “A day later, the accused again called up at the shop to enquire whether we had any costly mobile phones. They then visited the shop, selected a few mobile phones and placed the credit card for payment. The first two cards declined payment. Not letting them get the whiff of our suspicion, we made them wait in the shop and informed the police,” Bareya said.
About 20 branches of The Mobile Store in the city were duped by the accused. “Nigerians were involved in all the fraud transactions and they had duped the store of Rs15 lakh over a month or two,” Bareya said.
“Atiya, who owns a mobile phone shop in Goregaon, befriended the Nigerians this year when they visited his shop. The Nigerians offered him a mobile phone for every con,” said senior inspector Rajdoot Rupwate of the Powai police station. Rupwate said Atiya sold those handsets at his shop.
Sub-inspector Sanjay Joshi said while Atiya and Kachariya finalised the deal, Kayode and Watson paid using forged credit cards.
“According to the banks’ rule, if a person shops for over Rs10,000 on credit card heshe has to submit an identity proof to the shop. We are verifying whether the cards recovered are actually owned by someone living outside India. Investigations are on to find their involvement in other such cases,” said Joshi.
By V Narayan
Citibank man, 3 others duped in credit card fraud - Express News Service - 20 Jun 2008
Pune June 20 A senior Citibank officer and three customers were cheated of Rs 10 lakh in a credit card fraud. Sunil Nade (33), manager of the Financial Resource Management (FRM) division of Citibank’s east street branch, has lodged a complaint with the Bund Garden police station.
The police have arrested a person identified as Bharat Kansukhbahi Soni of Mumbai. Nade and three of his bank customers had gone to Hotel Le-Meridian on Bund Garden Road on May 7. They paid the bill through credit cards. It is suspected that when Nade gave the credit cards for the payment, the accused Soni and his accomplices Asif and Javed were present at the hotel. The accused managed to copy the credit card details in a computer using an electronic device.
He then used these details for making fake credit cards and buying goods worth Rs 10,03,679 in Mumbai and Surat till June 13.
The fraud came to light when the victims got the credit card slips recently. The case was transferred to the crime branch for investigations.
A police team arrested Soni at Mumbai. Soni has been remanded to police custody till June 25. A search was on for nabbing the Asif and Javed, who are suspected to be the kingpins.
The police have arrested a person identified as Bharat Kansukhbahi Soni of Mumbai. Nade and three of his bank customers had gone to Hotel Le-Meridian on Bund Garden Road on May 7. They paid the bill through credit cards. It is suspected that when Nade gave the credit cards for the payment, the accused Soni and his accomplices Asif and Javed were present at the hotel. The accused managed to copy the credit card details in a computer using an electronic device.
He then used these details for making fake credit cards and buying goods worth Rs 10,03,679 in Mumbai and Surat till June 13.
The fraud came to light when the victims got the credit card slips recently. The case was transferred to the crime branch for investigations.
A police team arrested Soni at Mumbai. Soni has been remanded to police custody till June 25. A search was on for nabbing the Asif and Javed, who are suspected to be the kingpins.
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