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hyperionic: Be careful. The credit card system worked exactly as it was supposed to. It's much harder to argue charges on your accounts with a pin card than it is with a credit card: a credit card has many layers of defense, many recourses one can take, beyond the security of the card itself (i.e., it wasn't luck, it was how the system was designed). I'm not saying that its a bad idea to use a pin card, but it _is_ true that you'll have a much harder time getting your money back if somebody scams your pin number. Things are getting a bit better lately, but it wasn't too long ago that a bank wouldn't even consider reversing charges done via a pin.

[...] How Identity Thieves Clone Your Credit Cards Filed under: Uncategorized — recar @ 4:37 am How Identity Thieves Clone Your Credit Cards This is why you should always pay cash when eating out. A waitress uses a special device to extract data from the credit card ’s magnetic strip — includes name, address, etc. It only takes minutes to prep, and seconds to steal.[news][entertainment][technology][security] [...]

This is absolutely total B*******. There is No personally identifiable information contained in the magnetic strip.

I remember hearing about something like this where some cashier at walmart was taking receipts with CC numbers on them and making fraudulent charges were caught. If they only take one or two cards over a long period of time then they probably won't catch on. If you scan every card you get all of the time they will catch onto your pattern and definitely catch you. When they see that all the people have eaten at a certain restaurant before their card is stolen then I think they will be able to figure it out, that is how it worked with the walmart scam.

"Truth This is absolutely total B*******. There is No personally identifiable information contained in the magnetic strip." Wrong. Your name is on the strip along with your CC number.

How ATMs are hacked to steal your info READ

this is a total insult. i have worked in the service industry for 15 years. first off, 98% of (america's) restaurant servers (not including non-food bars or strip clubs) would never attempt credit card fraud. they have been warned about it by their employer. it is very easy to catch someone who does, if the customer pays any attention at all to their credit card/bank statements. the when and where of the fraudulent charges are all there, and you'd be surprised how many people keep their receipts, which almost always include a specific employee name or number. even in this digital world, there is still always a paper trail. secondly, there are so many easier ways to get your money. where would a server at some restaurant even get a device like that? and if they know that much about computers and fraud, why would they work in a restaurant? if a server really wanted to steal your money, they could just add an extra one or zero to the tip and total lines and hope you never notice it. a much easier and less punishable offense. turn that one dollar tip on a $90 tab from some family of five messy, rude fatties into a ten real quick (never done it, but man have i wanted to). finally, most servers fully understand the inner workings of their company and it's computer system. much easier and less dangerous to just get a manager's card or password and void sales, then keep the cash (still a paper trail). plus it's easier to justify for the criminal. they figure they are just stealing from the big, corporate machine that forces them to slave for $2.13 an hour. on a side note, service industry workers are the largest group of workers in america who are for some reason not protected by labor laws, minimum wage, or unions? anytime you hand your credit/debit card to anyone, you give them a chance to rip you off. they don't even need the physical card, just the numbers. it happens on the internet far more than in a restaurant or anywhere else. my advice?, give your server a fair tip. 15-20% is the bare minimum. we work hard, we have families, and finally, the #1 reason to be a good tipper?... remember before you piss me off, I HANDLE YOUR FOOD!!! please respect your wait staff or enjoy the special sauce.

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Cool info...thanks for sharing.