Today, I wanted to talk briefly about simple ways to protect your privacy and money from the latest trends in identity theft. Both Big Brother and well-organized criminal elements target you for your information, but some of these thefts are far more prevalent and intrusive. Credit card theft is one that is top on my list. In fact, it is safe to say many of us at one point or another have already had our credit card information stolen. At best, this is a huge annoyance and a costly problem for banks and consumers, but at worst, you could have your savings wiped out and identity stolen. To protect our accounts, banks continue to add new security features to cards, but as users, we too have to be aware of the latest trends in theft and take action. Let’s discuss a new theft technique most of you are completely unaware of: How thieves get your pin codes and how to prevent it.
Previously, simply covering the keypad when entering your card’s pin was enough to thwart most identity thieves. However, those days are long gone. Today, with chipped cards and RFID your cards can be skimmed and copied by a thief using readily available skimmer devices that easily fit into a small briefcase. All the thief needs to do is to walk past you and the device can skim your cards. Most skimmers only need to get within a meter or two to capture your card information. Using this, the thief can then clone your cards or sell your information on the Dark Web to organized crime syndicates. These syndicates then use that information coupled with readily available online information about you to create new cards and make purchases.
Thankfully, there is a simple way to prevent this. Make sure your cards are all carried in an RFID blocking wallet or card case, which can be easily purchased online. Now I know some of you are saying, “Yes, I already knew this, but I am safe because you now have to have the pin code.” Well, not so fast. What you may not know is that thieves are also easily stealing your pin numbers. This makes it much easier to make a new card with your skimmed information and then use it immediately. In fact, most people have no idea how thieves are getting your pin codes. As such, listen and learn.
Here is how it is done. You are targeted by a team of credit card thieves, which work choice areas. On your way to make a purchase or use an ATM, one of the thieves walks past you with a skimmer and pulls all of your card information. If you had used an RFID blocking wallet, this would have thwarted the theft right away, but you didn’t listen. Now, without knowing your card information has already been duplicated, you pull out your card, insert the chip, and enter your pin. You withdraw your cash or complete your transaction, take your card, and go on about your business. What you didn’t notice was the person waiting behind you or nearby had a thermal camera attached to their cell phone and snapped a thermal picture of the keypad after you entered your pin. Based on the residual heat signature, the thief can obtain your pin numbers and the order that they were entered. Now, having your pin, the thieves go on a spending spree with your cloned card and neither the bank nor you are aware until your account is zeroed and the thieves are long gone. Good news though. This is also very simple to defeat once you are aware of it. All you have to do is place your hand over the keys for three seconds to warm them after keying your pin. This effectively wipes the residual thermal image. Just make sure you make contact with all of the keys. Now you know.
Guiles Hendrik
July 11, 2018
