From: jjamies@tiscali.co.uk (James)
Newsgroups: uk.finance
Subject: Re: PIN fraud
Date: 16 Apr 2004 13:47:38 -0700

"Al Green"  wrote in message news:...
> My sisters partner had his card cloned after he drew some cash out of a hole
> in the wall. They drew almost £1000 over a week before he noticed. They used
> one of those "lebonese loops" which sit in the cash machine slot, and take a
> copy of all your details when you make a transaction. I don't know my credit
> card pins and don't want to know, cash withdrawrals are far too expensive.
> Unfortunately it looks like I am going to be forced into using the pins for
> these. My husband works in IT and deals alot with security and thinks the
> chip and pin system is a joke. Unless you have to sign as well or they hurry
> up and add biometric ids they are open to abuse. Hubby has a fingerprint
> reader on his hand held diary/ipac thingy so it can't be that difficult.
> alison

Alison
Having a PIN with your credit card is not compulsory nor a legal
requirement. I've already arranged to have a Chip and Signature card
by sheer persistance. Your card supplier has no right to ask you why
you can't handle a PIN - tell them this.  If you've not got a PIN with
your credit card neither you OR a crook can get money at an ATM. If
fraud occurs at any other place then the most you can be liable for is
£50.  However if you have a PIN, and your card issuer considers you've
been negligent with it - you could get clobbered for the whole cost of
the fraud. Another way to look at having a PIN with a credit card is
their value to crooks - access to instant cash or they can use them in
Chip and PIN compliant shops and walk away with expensive goods
without ever being challenged.

James