Beware if you use a debit/credit card

[Caveman Charlie]

Re: Beware if you use a debit/credit card

ccards and debit cards are very different.
Each having laws and rules that regulate them.

Your debit card does not have the same safeguards built into it as your ccard.
Don't be fooled by the "visa" or "MC" logo on the front.

I always did wonder what the difference was? With a debit card don't you have to have the money in there first? With a credit card aren't you borrowing the money every time?

 

[arboldt]

Re: Beware if you use a debit/credit card

I always did wonder what the difference was? With a debit card don't you have to have the money in there first? With a credit card aren't you borrowing the money every time?

Correct.

'Debit' = deduction from a current account balance.
'Credit' = mini-loan from a card issuer. Under most card agreements, there is no interest or fee charged if you pay the balance in full within x days. (The grace period will vary by card issuer and your situation).

Since there are fewer protections, I've never seen where a debit card is a better deal than a credit card. Now if I had really bad credit and was stuck with a costly card, I could see where a debit card might be ok.

Many stores around here have you swipe your card through a reader yourself, then either enter a PIN or sign on the screen. Putting an 'Ask for ID' message would not be much good since the cashier usually doesn't even look at the card itself.

I have one quirk, though, that I think makes sense. I have a strong aversion to letting anyone digitize my signature. I know that *anything* on a computer file is virtually permanent and can be compromised, so I don't want anyone to be able to capture my signature. I've heard too many stories from friends who've caught cashiers stealing card numbers, PINS, and authorizations. So I always ask the cashier to print a hard copy for me to sign (they are required to be able to do that, though many don't know how). In the rare situation where I *have* to sign the screen, I either 1) use a very different handwriting style, or 2) sign it with 'VOID' or 'Notvalid Forsale'. Oh, I still pay the bill right away, but no one can use that for some nefarious purpose. Does anyone else think the same way?

 

[SgtMaj]

Re: Beware if you use a debit/credit card

I have a different take on it... I just don't care.

Since my bank guarantees their cards against fraud, theft, or unauthorized use, I just don't care. My wife and I only use our debit cards, and if there's ever an odd charge, we just call the bank and they take it off without a problem. It's much better than carrying cash around because if someone mugs you and takes your cash, you have no recourse, but if they steal your card, you just call the bank and all your money is still there in your account no matter what the theif does or did with the card. I don't worry about identity theft either, because I keep an initial fraud alert active with the credit reporting agencies (not to mention... why would anyone go to all the trouble of stealing an identity just to end up with MINE... it's like stealing a pento when you already drive a jaguar)

It just makes the most sense for now. Sure one day we'll pay with fingerprint scanners... but when that day comes... it'll really suck to be a quadaplegic.

 

[Caveman Charlie]

Re: Beware if you use a debit/credit card

I've forgetten my pin number years ago.

 

[Caveman Charlie]

Re: Beware if you use a debit/credit card

And, as far as getting mugged and carrying cash I guess that's true that you would loose the cash. But, these days there more likely to steal your identity then they are to mug you. Besides, how much cash are we talking here. I usually only carry 80 bucks. That's plenty. If I need more money then that then I'm somewhere that will take a check. You could also carry 80 in your wallet and some more in your shoe if you think you need to carry more.

Thankfully, I live in a area where there never has been a mugging.

 

[thefairlaneman]

Re: Beware if you use a debit/credit card

The sooner we get biometric ids the better. Using ids that can be faked are out dated. You can even get a birth certificate in the mail by just having the birthday of a person and his mothers maiden name. I also found accidently that the SS numbers of people who have died are easy to get on the net.

 

[thefairlaneman]

Re: Beware if you use a debit/credit card

Final update.Talked to my neighbor today. She said the cops told her that since her stolen card was used by telephone/internet to pay the persons bills they couldnt charge anyone BECAUSE THEY DIDNT SEE ANYONE DO IT, What a joke.To arrest and charge someone with doing something YOU GOT TO SEE THEM DO IT.....forget the paper trail and documents showing whose bills were paid for with your stolen card...makes me want to go tear up all of the wifes cards but she would kick my arse and NO ONE would see her do it gezz. Funny .I cant understand how people get arrested for things they post on the internet. NO ONE SEES THEM DO IT, DO THEY?

 

[SgtMaj]

Re: Beware if you use a debit/credit card

Final update.Talked to my neighbor today. She said the cops told her that since her stolen card was used by telephone/internet to pay the persons bills they couldnt charge anyone BECAUSE THEY DIDNT SEE ANYONE DO IT, What a joke.To arrest and charge someone with doing something YOU GOT TO SEE THEM DO IT.....forget the paper trail and documents showing whose bills were paid for with your stolen card...makes me want to go tear up all of the wifes cards but she would kick my arse and NO ONE would see her do it gezz. Funny .I cant understand how people get arrested for things they post on the internet. NO ONE SEES THEM DO IT, DO THEY?

Wait, they can't use the IP address to show which computer it was done from and the time, then work from there to show that the only person that had access to that computer was the defendant? A monkey could successfully prosecute that case... lazy arze cops!!!

 

[dolluper]

Re: Beware if you use a debit/credit card

Yea internet cafe at 1200 midnight ....err some crooks know the ropes to tie the cops,,,,,besides in stealth mode who know....Try asking the cops her ID ha ha ha

 

[SgtMaj]

Re: Beware if you use a debit/credit card

Yea internet cafe at 1200 midnight ....err some crooks know the ropes to tie the cops,,,,,besides in stealth mode who know....Try asking the cops her ID ha ha ha

The internet cafe should have some security cameras... and they will be able to tell which computer was used.

Those cops are just being lazy because it wasn't a violent assault. I wonder what would happen if people started filing suit against their local PD's when they failed to bring justice to the situation... now THAT would be an interresting case.

 

[dolluper]

Re: Beware if you use a debit/credit card

When I use internet Cafe's I look like Durr Carrie,come on now the cops are to busy for this petty crime in time they might not be,besides it takes a two year investagation to possibily get a conviction

 

[SgtMaj]

Re: Beware if you use a debit/credit card

When I use internet Cafe's I look like Durr Carrie,come on now the cops are to busy for this petty crime in time they might not be,besides it takes a two year investagation to possibily get a conviction

I wonder how many more innocent people will be victimized by this theif though. That's why as a police dept. you have to go after this person. Not doing so is almost like prosecuting an innocent person, because you are sentancing a certain number of innocent people to become victims. If they don't have time to prosecute such offenses, then the county council needs to provide more resources so that they can. But they won't do that until they have some incentive to do that.

 

[thefairlaneman]

Re: Beware if you use a debit/credit card

Wait, they can't use the IP address to show which computer it was done from and the time, then work from there to show that the only person that had access to that computer was the defendant? A monkey could successfully prosecute that case... lazy arze cops!!!

Yes ,It would be simple to show where the internet post came from but then again NO ONE SAW THE THIEF DO IT.With such stupid policies as this no wonder credit card fraud is rampant. The person who had their rent paid with a stolen card should at least be charged with recieving stolen goods or something. THEY DID DO THAT. I bet if someone stole a cops credit card and paid their rent and several cell phone bills the matter wouldnt be droped. go figure.I welcome the day of biometric IDs.

 

[dolluper]

Re: Beware if you use a debit/credit card

It's simple pay cash when they fruad that they get con -vic-ted

 

[SgtMaj]

Re: Beware if you use a debit/credit card

Yes ,It would be simple to show where the internet post came from but then again NO ONE SAW THE THIEF DO IT.With such stupid policies as this no wonder credit card fraud is rampant. The person who had their rent paid with a stolen card should at least be charged with recieving stolen goods or something. THEY DID DO THAT. I bet if someone stole a cops credit card and paid their rent and several cell phone bills the matter wouldnt be droped. go figure..

You got that right! They would be all over that, probably have 24hr surveilance on the person until they were locked up, too. When they arrested the person, I'd bet they somehow got tazed, too. But it's ok, as long it's not a cop they steal from.

I welcome the day of biometric IDs.

You know, I've often wondered why we don't already use them...

The only bad thing about them is the hospital wouldn't get paid for treating patients of industrial accidents where a digit was lost. Although I'm pretty sure they could still just send the person a bill.

SgtMaj

 

[waterinthefuel]

Re: Beware if you use a debit/credit card

If they pass a law mandating that some nurse jam a damn ID up in my body somewhere I'm moving to Canada.

 

[SgtMaj]

Re: Beware if you use a debit/credit card

If they pass a law mandating that some nurse jam a damn ID up in my body somewhere I'm moving to Canada.

Biometrics just uses your own fingerprints to identify you... you just place your thumb or finger of choice if for some reason you don't have a thumb, on a fingerprint scanner, the computer then checks your print against a database to find the match to identify you. It completely prevents identity theft.

It would also serve as a great tool for law enforcement, as they would then not only have previous offenders' fingerprints on file, but everyone else's as well, so that even first time offenders couldn't hide behind the anonymity of their fingerprints. Of course, that may also be one of the detractors as many people worry about "big brother" having any of their information.

By the way, the device you were thinking of is an RFID. Although they have been somewhat useful for pet owners whose lost pet was picked up by animal control, they still have plenty of problems that make them even less useful for identifying humans. Fingerprint and even facial recognition are both far superior methods of identifying people.

SgtMaj

 

[angus63]

Re: Beware if you use a debit/credit card

All this talk is making Aldous Huxley seem like Nostradomous. Read "Brave New World" ,check out when it was published, and you'll see what I mean.

 

[Caveman Charlie]

Re: Beware if you use a debit/credit card

I can't imagine our local police using some excuse like that to not prosecute someone. I'd call the local district attorney and complain if I were her.

 

[arboldt]

Re: Beware if you use a debit/credit card

Final update.Talked to my neighbor today. She said the cops told her that since her stolen card was used by telephone/internet to pay the persons bills they couldnt charge anyone BECAUSE THEY DIDNT SEE ANYONE DO IT, What a joke.To arrest and charge someone with doing something YOU GOT TO SEE THEM DO IT.....forget the paper trail and documents showing whose bills were paid for with your stolen card...makes me want to go tear up all of the wifes cards but she would kick my arse and NO ONE would see her do it gezz. Funny .I cant understand how people get arrested for things they post on the internet. NO ONE SEES THEM DO IT, DO THEY?

Let's see...

If the police could not investigate or prosecute because they didn't see the crime being committed, then by the same logic, they should not proscute most murder, embezzlement, or other crime unless they actually witnessed the crime in progress. Isn't that what investigation is for?