How To Use A Stolen Debit Card To Get Cash

Thu, Nov 18, 2021 | Updated 05.23AM IST

Gadgets Now

Gadgets Now
SlideShows
15 ways criminals steal money from your Debit/Credit card

15 ways criminals steal money from your Debit/Credit card

Gadgets Now Bureau 03 Nov, 2020, 09:47AM IST

15 ways criminals steal money from your Debit/Credit card

Facebook Twitter Linkedin EMail

GadgetsNow

1 16

15 ways criminals steal money from your Debit/Credit cards

Over the last few years, our financial lives have moved online. From our banks, to mutual funds, insurance policies, shopping and many other things have become matter of credit and debit card swipes. But at the same time, criminals have mastered the art of exploiting vulnerabilities with frightening ease. Recently, several 'Jackpotting' cases, wherein ATM machines spit out cash, were reported in the US. In India too, debit/credit cards-related frauds have alarmingly increased over the past year. According to cybercell statistics, cybercrime-related complaints saw a rise of 350% from 2013 and by over 44% from 2016. Last year, Indian banks such as HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Yes Bank, Axis Bank and SBI were targets of the biggest financial data breach of the country—as many as 3.2 million debit cards were hacked.

On 'Safe Internet Day' today, here we have listed 15 ways criminals steal money from your Debit/Credit cards.

GadgetsNow

2 16

Skimming

One of the most common way is ATM skimming. Here a counterfeit reader is fitted into ATM machine that reads and stores all the information given on the magnetic strip on the card. This information is later used by hackers for stealing money.

GadgetsNow

3 16

Fake keyboards

Skimming is not the only way criminals steal money from your ATM cards. Fake keypads is another tool used to record PIN inputs. Criminals install fake keypad over on the actual keypad to steal the PIN. Capturing people's PINs through a false keypad is known as a 'pin-pad overlay'.

GadgetsNow

4 16

Hidden cameras

Another common way that criminals use to steal your money is by installing hidden cameras near ATM machines. These spy cameras are strategically fitted in a way to read your card PIN number. Since they are quite small in size, so are usually fitted near the keypad.

GadgetsNow

5 16

Card trapping

This is a barb that retains the card when you insert it in the machine and the card is retrieved later.

GadgetsNow

6 16

Pharming

In this technique, fraudsters take users to a fake website that seems similar to the original. So as you transact and pay via credit or debit cards, the card details are stored and later used to steal money from your account.

GadgetsNow

7 16

Keystroke logging

Keystroke logging another method used by hackers to trap. It is especially used to steal netbanking information. Here, hackers make users unintentionally download a software, which allows the fraudster to trace their key strokes and steal passwords or credit card and Net banking details.

GadgetsNow

8 16

False fronts

Scamsters also install entire false fronts on the actual ATM machine. These are hard to recognize and steal user's data. One way to identify them is to see, if the front is looking larger than the usual one.

GadgetsNow

9 16

Public Wi-Fi

If you are used to carrying out transactions on your smartphone, never-ever do it using a public Wi-Fi. It is easiest way to fall in hackers trap.

GadgetsNow

10 16

Malware

This is a malicious software that can damage your computer systems at ATMs or bank servers and allows fraudsters to access your confidential card data.

GadgetsNow

11 16

Phishing

Here you may get a mail in your Inbox that appears to be from just the legitimate source, say Income-Tax department or your bank. It will have a link that takes you to a website that will collect your personal bank credentials. So, do not respond, follow a link or open an attachment provided in unsolicited mail.

GadgetsNow

12 16

Vishing

While phishing involves identity theft through spam mails, Vishing is essentially the same through a mobile phone using SMS or phone calls. Here scamsters trick you into revealing your password, PIN or account number.

GadgetsNow

13 16

SIM swipe fraud

Here the fraudster contacts your mobile operator with fake identity proof and gets a duplicate SIM card. The operator deactivates your original SIM and the thief generates one-time password (OTP) on the phone to conduct online transactions.

GadgetsNow

14 16

Fake apps

Mobile apps too can be very dangerous, if not downloaded from the right source. Always download apps from established app stores like Google Play or Apple's App Stores as fake apps gain access to your confidential financial information and use it for unauthorized transactions.

GadgetsNow

15 16

Lost or stolen cards, interception

Transactions are carried out using stolen cards, those intercepted from mail before they reach the owner from the issuer, or by fishing out information like PINs and passwords from trash bins.

GadgetsNow

16 16

Cards using other documents

New cards are made by fraudsters using personal information stolen from application forms, lost or discarded documents.