Credit card scam

[katmai]

Get chip and PIN, you bunch of backward, Luddite countries. That goes especially for you Yanks. Most overseas fraud on UK credit cards is carried out in the US.

Speaking  of which when you coming back Tricky.

[Josquius]

Wherever I've been they bring you the one bit of paper you have to sign, if there was two I'd check the other- two pieces of paper would normally mean a very very long bill. I guess in HK the bills are normally stacked for some reason?

[Brazen]

Wherever I've been they bring you the one bit of paper you have to sign, if there was two I'd check the other- two pieces of paper would normally mean a very very long bill. I guess in HK the bills are normally stacked for some reason?

An original for the shop/restaurant and a carbon copy for the customer.

[DisturbedPervert]

Wherever I've been they bring you the one bit of paper you have to sign, if there was two I'd check the other- two pieces of paper would normally mean a very very long bill. I guess in HK the bills are normally stacked for some reason?

Yeah, that's why I don't understand this scam.  I've always only got 1 small piece of paper, that came out of a spool of paper from a machine, with the bill on it and a line for me to sign.  It'd be impossible to hide anything.

[Valmy]

No.  Ok, consider the paper used for credit card receipts.  If the waiter places your bill on top, and someone else's bill directly underneath it.  You check the bill on top, then sign the slip.  Your one signature will appear on two sets of receipts. 

No because I always take one of the receipts home with me and sign the other one.  Even if I was not paying attention they would still only get one signed paper from me.

[Valmy]

An original for the shop/restaurant and a carbon copy for the customer.

Yeah they do not do the carbon copy thing over here anymore.  You just get two copies, one says 'customer copy' and the 'merchant copy' but they are otherwise identical.

[Valmy]

Get chip and PIN, you bunch of backward, Luddite countries. That goes especially for you Yanks. Most overseas fraud on UK credit cards is carried out in the US.

My check card has a PIN

But no chip

[DisturbedPervert]

The last time I signed something with a carbon copy was for my notebook.  I've never had one for restaurants, supermarkets, games, clothes, etc.

[Grey Fox]

I am guessing Mono's example uses the Carbon copy.

I guess they haven't discovered the cloning your magnetic bar yet.

[DontSayBanana]

Yeah, this wouldn't fly in the US, Mono. The vast majority of restaurants have stepped up to receipt printers that pump out individual loose sheets. Two sheets are provided; one for the restaurant's records, and one that goes with you, the customer, so there's no carbonless copy, and people are actually looking for any additional sheets.

[dps]

Get chip and PIN, you bunch of backward, Luddite countries. That goes especially for you Yanks. Most overseas fraud on UK credit cards is carried out in the US.

Over here, a lot of check card fraud involves stolen PINs.  Don't really see how that would help much.  And I don't see that the chips accomplish anything except take away more of your privacy by making your purchases easier to track.

[derspiess]

The only time I'm aware of that I had unauthorized charges was at a Jillian's (a big, cheesy entertainment complex for adults).  We were there with some friends to shoot pool, and the only thing my wife & I ordered were a couple of drinks each.  Yet, when I looked at my bank statement for that month, I had charges from Jillian's for the ~$25 for our drinks plus another one for about $55.

Funny thing is I distinctly remembered our waitress freaking out that the people shooting pool next to us had left without paying their tab.  One of her co-workers said they'd just go talk to their manager & he'd "figure something out".

Well, they apparently "figured out" to stick my card with that table's tab.  Once I put two & two together, I called Jillian's for an explanation & the manager blandly said to call my bank & let them sort it out.  After about 2 months I finally got my credit (the banks only have to give you "provisional credit", meaning they can put a hold on the funds) for the charges.  The merchant has a certain amount of time to represent the charges, and I guess Jillian's just didn't bother challenging the chargeback.

Not a huge amount of money, but it was enough of an annoyance to get my Schadenfreude all tingling when Jillian's went out of business

[Admiral Yi]

What does the chip do?

[derspiess]

My check card has a PIN

But no chip

All debit cards have PINs-- the banks prefer you to not to use it, though, if it's a Visa or MasterCard branded card.

And FWIW, the smart cards with chips are starting to get hacked.  Banks & merchants don't want to foot the bill for the huge upgrade that the chips would require, only to get a marginal increase in security.

[dps]

What does the chip do?

They make it easier to track your purchases.  In theory, this improves security by allowing unusual activity to be more readily flagged.