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Some banks over here (Europe) now let you block mag-stripe credit card transactions. Actually sounds like a good way to prevent ATM fraud as long as you are not

Some banks over here (Europe) now let you block mag-stripe credit card transactions. Actually sounds like a good way to prevent ATM fraud as long as you are not visiting the US.

fleitz 10y ago
In Canada this is by default. If you swipe your card at a machine that supports chip it will be disabled until the next time you use the chip. However, if the card reader doesn't support chip you can still swipe. Essentially all machines support chip now. Only vending machines / parking meters still use swipe.
- ry_ry 10y ago
  In the UK one of our larger train companies is still using pre-hated handheld card terminals they bought from British Airways over 20 years ago on their buffet counters. Fun fact: They apparently aren't connected to anything, and transactions are processed later, so basically any valid card will go through regardless of funds etc. The market for shoddy bacon baguette & gin fraud is presumably fairly limited.
  - SmellyGeekBoy 10y ago
    You may laugh but those bacon baguettes are pretty expensive ;)
  - raddad 10y ago
    Another fun fact. Before card terminals became universal, it was common for different cards to require their own handheld terminal. A sales desk may have had half a dozen or so, in order top process the card. I really wish I could find that video again. It was interesting.
  - thesimon 10y ago
    >Fun fact: They apparently aren't connected to anything, and transactions are processed later, so basically any valid card will go through regardless of funds etc. Cards however have a special "service code" on the mag stripe/chip. Certain cards like the Monese debit card or debit cards for customers who are not allowed to go into overdraft can only be used for online transactions. So they wouldn't work in this case where the transaction is authorized offline. Source: My experience with cards in Germany where the train company is processing credit cards the same way.
  - JadeNB 10y ago
    > pre-hated handheld card terminals I assume that first word isn't what you meant, but I can't come up with any substitute. What was it supposed to be?
    - grkvlt 10y ago
      I think it says exactly what it is meant to say. It's 'pre-hated' as opposed to 'pre-loved', that being a common euphemism for 'second hand'. The implication being that BA sold on a bunch of old, beaten up card-reader terminals that they no longer had any use for...
jevinskie 10y ago
The whole situation in the US is silly. Some background: when a major iOS version comes out, thanks to Apple not allowing downgrades (grrrrr...), my company buys a new set of test devices for each major iOS version. When iOS 9 came out, I went to Walmart with my manager's company credit card to get some iPods (cheapest iOS test devices). The clerk asked me what I wanted and I said "5 iPods please". I would be suspicious if anyone asked for that many iDevices. When they realized they only had 3 iPods, I said I'd take those. When I went to check out, I asked them to break up the transactions into < $500 chunks so as to not cause additional oversight, they obliged. This was the first time I had ever used a chip-enabled card. It was obvious to the cashier, I was fumbling around with the card and had to ask how to operate it. Finally, after I bought three iPods in two transactions with a card I had obviously never used before, with the merchandise in a bag in hand, they ask for the credit card and my ID to verify the name. Busted, I thought! But no, after explaining that I was buying the devices on behalf of my boss (with no proof of this) they let me go on my merry way. I was flabbergasted. TLDR: If you have a stolen credit card and want to use it to buy expensive electronics to fence, go to the Electronics department at the West Lafayette Walmart. Chip and signature cards offer no improvement in security, even when faced with at least five big red flags that indicate fraud.
- duaneb 10y ago
  To be honest, all of the behavior you would have seen as fraudulent is pretty typical in retail. Furthermore, it's always been obvious that the chip'd cards provide no improvement for online fraud. It's a PR move to hide the fact that the banks and creditors rely so heavily on transaction disputing to fend off fraud.
  - nickpsecurity 10y ago
    You're right. Lots of people split orders, probably one out of 4 or 5 fumble for things, and quite a few buy for their company. The phone the person bought was an iPhone rather than some weird one. Had the comment said iPods I'd have expected a bit more skepticism from cashier. Yet, a company sends someone to buy a set of mainstream phones split on two transactions? Totally believable for a cashier and not as crazy as people's grocery orders have gotten while I was in line. ;)

Some banks over here (Europe) now let you block mag-stripe credit card transactions. Actually sounds like a good way to prevent ATM fraud as long as you are not visiting the US.

fleitz 10y ago

In Canada this is by default. If you swipe your card at a machine that supports chip it will be disabled until the next time you use the chip. However, if the card reader doesn't support chip you can still swipe. Essentially all machines support chip now. Only vending machines / parking meters still use swipe.

ry_ry 10y ago
In the UK one of our larger train companies is still using pre-hated handheld card terminals they bought from British Airways over 20 years ago on their buffet counters. Fun fact: They apparently aren't connected to anything, and transactions are processed later, so basically any valid card will go through regardless of funds etc. The market for shoddy bacon baguette & gin fraud is presumably fairly limited.
- SmellyGeekBoy 10y ago
  You may laugh but those bacon baguettes are pretty expensive ;)
- raddad 10y ago
  Another fun fact. Before card terminals became universal, it was common for different cards to require their own handheld terminal. A sales desk may have had half a dozen or so, in order top process the card. I really wish I could find that video again. It was interesting.
- thesimon 10y ago
  >Fun fact: They apparently aren't connected to anything, and transactions are processed later, so basically any valid card will go through regardless of funds etc. Cards however have a special "service code" on the mag stripe/chip. Certain cards like the Monese debit card or debit cards for customers who are not allowed to go into overdraft can only be used for online transactions. So they wouldn't work in this case where the transaction is authorized offline. Source: My experience with cards in Germany where the train company is processing credit cards the same way.
- JadeNB 10y ago
  > pre-hated handheld card terminals I assume that first word isn't what you meant, but I can't come up with any substitute. What was it supposed to be?
  - grkvlt 10y ago
    I think it says exactly what it is meant to say. It's 'pre-hated' as opposed to 'pre-loved', that being a common euphemism for 'second hand'. The implication being that BA sold on a bunch of old, beaten up card-reader terminals that they no longer had any use for...

jevinskie 10y ago

The whole situation in the US is silly. Some background: when a major iOS version comes out, thanks to Apple not allowing downgrades (grrrrr...), my company buys a new set of test devices for each major iOS version. When iOS 9 came out, I went to Walmart with my manager's company credit card to get some iPods (cheapest iOS test devices). The clerk asked me what I wanted and I said "5 iPods please". I would be suspicious if anyone asked for that many iDevices. When they realized they only had 3 iPods, I said I'd take those. When I went to check out, I asked them to break up the transactions into < $500 chunks so as to not cause additional oversight, they obliged. This was the first time I had ever used a chip-enabled card. It was obvious to the cashier, I was fumbling around with the card and had to ask how to operate it. Finally, after I bought three iPods in two transactions with a card I had obviously never used before, with the merchandise in a bag in hand, they ask for the credit card and my ID to verify the name. Busted, I thought! But no, after explaining that I was buying the devices on behalf of my boss (with no proof of this) they let me go on my merry way. I was flabbergasted. TLDR: If you have a stolen credit card and want to use it to buy expensive electronics to fence, go to the Electronics department at the West Lafayette Walmart. Chip and signature cards offer no improvement in security, even when faced with at least five big red flags that indicate fraud.

duaneb 10y ago
To be honest, all of the behavior you would have seen as fraudulent is pretty typical in retail. Furthermore, it's always been obvious that the chip'd cards provide no improvement for online fraud. It's a PR move to hide the fact that the banks and creditors rely so heavily on transaction disputing to fend off fraud.
- nickpsecurity 10y ago
  You're right. Lots of people split orders, probably one out of 4 or 5 fumble for things, and quite a few buy for their company. The phone the person bought was an iPhone rather than some weird one. Had the comment said iPods I'd have expected a bit more skepticism from cashier. Yet, a company sends someone to buy a set of mainstream phones split on two transactions? Totally believable for a cashier and not as crazy as people's grocery orders have gotten while I was in line. ;)