Drive-thru Workers Stealing Debit Card Numbers

[EvilEmpryss]

This month has been hell for me. On top of my dog getting hit by a car, the loss of financial aid we were counting on, and the Department of Education screwing with my student loans, I had my debit card number stolen.

Thinking back over the last two weeks, the *only* time my card was never out of my sight, and the only time I didn't see it run through the reader was at a McD's drive-thru. I was chatting with a friend as I watched the girl swipe the card through the reader, which was at her head level. I turned to talk to my friend as I put my hand out the window to get my card back when I heard the girls say "Your card didn't go through, I'm going to have to run it again." This isn't an impossible thing, so I wasn't really concerned, but when I looked back to watch her swipe the card she swiped it through something at the side of her register, below the other machine. It struck me as odd at the time, enough so that I remembered it, but I figured they must have some setup with a second card reader. She pulled the receipt from the printer and handed me my card and I went on my way.

Fortunately, my bank was on the ball, and after the second transaction they flagged the card for fraudulent activity and they only got about $300, all of which is being returned to me by my bank. I stopped by the McD's to let them know my suspicions, making sure they understood that I wasn't accusing anyone in particular nor was I demanding any compensation: I wouldn't be able to pick the girl out of a lineup if they offered. But I felt that if they have a crooked worker stealing people's debit card numbers they needed to know about it.

Has anyone seen anything like this where you work?

[trailerparkmedic]

You don't want to know how many people at the credit card call center I worked for were fired for fraud.

You really, really don't want to know.

[Whiskey]

You can attach a card reader to just about any machine as well. How many companies have your debit card number? Cable? Power company? Amazon? Now imagine how many people have access to those files.

[tropicsgoddess]

A few years back when I was a Hostess for this local Italian restaurant/lounge, one of the servers S.A. was arrested for credit card fraud and (of course) fired. What sucked was that the owner's wife (she was sweet) gave her a chance when nobody else would and had her trust betrayed. What S.A. did was deliberately over charge customers cards when she rang them up for tips and the like. Sadly it's not the first time I've worked somewhere and have come to find out somebody got fired and/or arrested for card fraud. There was a supervisor and an agent who both were in cahoots with jotting down credit card numbers on paper from the computer (it's a no electronics zone on the call center floor) and using them for personal means, they pretty much were the Bonnie and Clyde of the sales department at my old job if ya catch my drift. Trailerparkmedic, judging from what you are saying that must me an astronomical amount of people that were fired from your old job for credit card fraud.

[superhotelworker]

I work at a hotel, and I always make sure the person is watching when I swipe the card, and have let more than one lean over the desk to watch me do it (Since I could still reach my panic button, I am usually not bothered by this.)
IF I take an imprint for a card (Usually as a back up if the card didn't seem to swipe the first time OR as a collateral *they paid cash for a room, the card is charged if they damage my room or are walked out.*), I make sure they watch me or my co-worker shred it.

[Midorikawa]

I had some lady at a fast food joint walk off with my card, when there were several readers right there on the 3 registers. When I asked why she did, she got REALLY defensive, and started acting suspiciously. I talked to a manager, manager shrugged and wandered off like he didn't care. I cancelled my card in front of the lady, reported it as stolen, and really should have called corporate, but didn't. That place got shut down a few weeks later by the health inspectors, so it's not too bad.

[casey13]

Another possible outlet is if you use your debit card online and you have or had a keylogger on there without your knowledge or if the site has their records hacked. Then the recent news is those skimmers you attach to credit card pumps so when people pre-pay at the pump, the information is read when you slid your card.

It's also possible that your information was stolen and only now being put to use because someone bought a batch of numbers.

[Midorikawa]

Another possible outlet is if you use your debit card online and you have or had a keylogger on there without your knowledge or if the site has their records hacked. Then the recent news is those skimmers you attach to credit card pumps so when people pre-pay at the pump, the information is read when you slid your card.

Agreed. This is why you keep an antivirus on your computer, NEVER EVER EVER EVER buy anything online from a shared/public terminal or a work computer, and be very VERY wary of skimmers attached to any card reader. I've made it a habit of tugging on any card scanner where you insert the card, not swipe it down a slot, and thoroughly checking for cameras/hidden equipment. Paranoid? Yes, but my identity has never been stolen.

[BlaqueKatt]

You can attach a card reader to just about any machine as well. How many companies have your debit card number? Cable? Power company? Amazon? Now imagine how many people have access to those files.

normally It's blocked out except for the last 4 digits due to this issue-heck at the big red checkmark phone company as we typed it in we got x's until the last 4 digits....

[Javarod]

Agreed. This is why you keep an antivirus on your computer, NEVER EVER EVER EVER buy anything online from a shared/public terminal or a work computer, and be very VERY wary of skimmers attached to any card reader. I've made it a habit of tugging on any card scanner where you insert the card, not swipe it down a slot, and thoroughly checking for cameras/hidden equipment. Paranoid? Yes, but my identity has never been stolen.

And never buy anything online using a phone or other portable device that uses Opera Mini, since it sends all web pages through a proxy (Opera's servers process the page to convert them to your phone).

[infinitemonkies]

Could also be a situation like this:

Last summer, the police put out a warning for all local merchants to be on the watch for a group of high-tech thieves. Guy 1 would enter the store and approach the counter. Guy 2, already in store, causes a distraction. Guy 1 swaps out the debit/credit card machine for one which is visually identical. This modified machine records all card numbers & PINs, and broadcasts it on an encoded wi-fi signal. Range of a block or 2. The group, somewhere near-by, receives this info, copies it onto blank cards, then hits up an atm with duplicates of every card read by that machine from the time it was swapped in until it was discovered.

As far as I know, the suspects were never apprehended.

[Midorikawa]

And never buy anything online using a phone or other portable device that uses Opera Mini, since it sends all web pages through a proxy (Opera's servers process the page to convert them to your phone).

Really? I didn't know that. I never really liked Opera anyways, so its nothing for me to worry about.

[Javarod]

Really? I didn't know that. I never really liked Opera anyways, so its nothing for me to worry about.

Opera comes in several flavors, full for computers, then there's two handheld versions, mini runs through their servers for processing, not sure about the other one. I also don't get why there has to be two small footprint versions.

[telecom_goddess]

Could also be a situation like this:

Last summer, the police put out a warning for all local merchants to be on the watch for a group of high-tech thieves. Guy 1 would enter the store and approach the counter. Guy 2, already in store, causes a distraction. Guy 1 swaps out the debit/credit card machine for one which is visually identical. This modified machine records all card numbers & PINs, and broadcasts it on an encoded wi-fi signal. Range of a block or 2. The group, somewhere near-by, receives this info, copies it onto blank cards, then hits up an atm with duplicates of every card read by that machine from the time it was swapped in until it was discovered.

As far as I know, the suspects were never apprehended.

Wow that is fucked up beyond belief but at the same time is a genius idea.....as far as the tech end goes. Holy shit....

[Chromatix]

A big international card-cloning ring got busted not long ago. I bet they weren't the only ones operating, but chances are that particular problem will get less frequent for a while.