credit card fraud..mac virus?

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alex.the.forge
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credit card fraud..mac virus?

Post by alex.the.forge » Fri May 14, 2010 4:05 am

I just had $350 taken from my account via Visa debit fraud - it looks like I'll get it back, but I'm wondering how the hell they got the number...

anyone else come across this? Like most mac users I'm probably a little too relaxed about the fact that we're not supposed to get viruses so I'm wondering if it could be that?

longjohns
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Re: credit card fraud..mac virus?

Post by longjohns » Fri May 14, 2010 4:17 am

you're not supposed to use a debit card online

only credit

Bagle
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Re: credit card fraud..mac virus?

Post by Bagle » Fri May 14, 2010 4:17 am

you know that wasnt really the prince of nigeria right?
Anything at my disposal..
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john doe by choice
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Re: credit card fraud..mac virus?

Post by john doe by choice » Fri May 14, 2010 4:17 am

There was this a last year:

http://www.intego.com/news/ism0901.asp

So, you can definitely download a trojan, and it can definitely take over, but it's not very common.

longjohns
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Re: credit card fraud..mac virus?

Post by longjohns » Fri May 14, 2010 4:19 am

how long you had a mac? 2 years?

"like most mac users" haha

;)

alex.the.forge
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Re: credit card fraud..mac virus?

Post by alex.the.forge » Fri May 14, 2010 5:24 am

john doe by choice wrote:There was this a last year:

http://www.intego.com/news/ism0901.asp

So, you can definitely download a trojan, and it can definitely take over, but it's not very common.
interesting! I downloaded and installed iWork 09 recently, but it was the demo from the Apple site and I just looked and it's not there... So I don't think it was that!

longjohns wrote:how long you had a mac? 2 years?

"like most mac users" haha

;)
:) he he...less than that even, but it doesn't take long to get the turtle neck thing

hoffman2k
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Re: credit card fraud..mac virus?

Post by hoffman2k » Fri May 14, 2010 10:45 am

alex.the.forge wrote:
longjohns wrote:how long you had a mac? 2 years?

"like most mac users" haha

;)
:) he he...less than that even, but it doesn't take long to get the turtle neck thing
Heh.. If you don't find out about a Trojan trough a Mac site (because its always big news), don't worry. A PC user will arrive shortly with a link to an article about a recently discovered exploit.
Sometimes there is an upside to the Mac/Pc thing. :D

Pasha
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Re: credit card fraud..mac virus?

Post by Pasha » Fri May 14, 2010 12:08 pm

Are you sure you were not a victim of phishing? Is very common these days.
Seriously I almost put my username and password into my homebanking site
(they built an exact copy) until I noticed that the logo was a little mocked up...

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slirak
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Re: credit card fraud..mac virus?

Post by slirak » Fri May 14, 2010 1:14 pm

Ask the bank that issued the card. It's quite possible they can tell how the fraud was done. (It's also quite possible they won't tell you.)

There are lots of ways to commit credit card fraud these days. Malware and phishing have been mentioned already. Now and then an e-commerce site will get hacked and credit card info harvested. Skimming is another pretty common method, where the bad guys manipulate a card reading device so that it collects your card info. There's been a few quite spectacular cases of skimming, where replicas of ATM machine consoles have been placed in front of the actual console. Apparently, this can be pretty hard to spot. Then there was the Swedish manufacturer who made card readers for shops and stores, readers that reported card info back to the manufacturer...

And of course, whenever you hand over your card, the person handling the card could simply write down your card number and expire date, then shop away on the interwebz. I'm sure there are still a few web shops that doesn't care if the delivery address doesn't match the address of the card holder. Under-tipped any waiters lately? :wink:

Angstrom
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Re: credit card fraud..mac virus?

Post by Angstrom » Fri May 14, 2010 1:39 pm

when you think about all the other places you might use a card it's not always the computer route.
Waiters can skim your card right at the table-side, hotels keep card details against your room in case you total the minibar (and their staff have access), your kids might trade your numbers to a classmate to offset a poker debt. Stuff like that.

On the subject of using debit cards online : there are some advantages to using a specially prepared debit card rather than a credit card. While credit cards are often protected, the banks start to get sniffy if you have a run of frauds on them. So if you ever need to make a purchase at a site which you think might be a bit dodgy (miowdrugs4u.com, synthcreatorwithacokeproblem.com, via9ra4u.ru , etc ) then remember that Debit cards can only be charged down to zero funds, while credit cards keep going until they hit your credit limit.
I maintain a complete separate debit card which only has £100 in it, simply for buying my weekly kilo of viagra and mephedrone off gangster sites.

risome1
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Re: credit card fraud..mac virus?

Post by risome1 » Fri May 14, 2010 1:41 pm

longjohns wrote:you're not supposed to use a debit card online

only credit
Now that is totally untrue
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longjohns
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Re: credit card fraud..mac virus?

Post by longjohns » Fri May 14, 2010 3:01 pm

option one: a crook spends your money, and after investigating for a few months, your bank gives you back your money

option two: a crook spends your bank's money, and you're not responsible. bank is much more motivated to solve the problem, because it's their money

?

the point about a finite balance is a good one, though.

djsynchro
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Re: credit card fraud..mac virus?

Post by djsynchro » Fri May 14, 2010 7:12 pm

it just works

H20nly
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Re: credit card fraud..mac virus?

Post by H20nly » Fri May 14, 2010 7:44 pm

Angstrom wrote:synthcreatorwithacokeproblem.com
:D



don't worry. it couldn't have been a virus. don't bother installing that antivirus software. its not necessary.
LoopStationZebra wrote:it's like a hipster commie pinko manifesto. Rambling. Angry. Nearly divorced from all reality; yet strangely compelling with a ring of truth.

willdahbe
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Re: credit card fraud..mac virus?

Post by willdahbe » Fri May 14, 2010 11:48 pm

djsynchro wrote:it just works
:lol:

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