Fake credit cards

Why Should You Worry About Fake Credit Cards?

Fake credit cards

Bogus credit cards have been around almost as long as the real thing. Just as with counterfeit money, thieves and scammers whose vocation in life is to try and get something for nothing love the concept of a magic machine that stamps out magic cards that will fool both merchants and computerized readers.

So why is this our concern? Unfortunately, even though the cards themselves are not technically real, the numbers on those cards probably are - and may very well be yours. That's right, phoney credit cards often use real credit card numbers and this means that your accounts might be at risk for theft or fraud.

A surprising number of people are not aware of this. We often assume that just because a con artist is making a bogus card, they are also somehow creating a fake bank account and identity as well. The common belief is that a fake card has a fake credit card number. This is certainly what Hollywood and TV stereotypes seem to suggest - we have all seen the cliched genius computer hacker who creates a false ID with just a few keystrokes, and then hits the town with new name, social security number, and fake credit cards in tow.

Unfortunately there is a big gap between this fiction and contemporary reality - a gap that honest citizens usually pay for. The sad fact is that because of the instantaneous communications between computers, fake credit card numbers will be checked and verified the moment the card is swiped through a reader or entered online. If the fake credit card number does not match the appropriate bank records, it is automatically rejected. To create a usable fake ID and bank account today really does require true criminal genius - it is much easier and more practical to steal your already established account number instead.

So how do you protect yourself from having your numbers stolen and put on a fake card? While there are no guarantees that this will never happen to you, there are some simple tips to help you protect yourself.

Being careful with your actual credit cards themselves is the most important tip. Many fake credit cards with real numbers are made from cards that have been stolen, or are skimmed when taken for payment in busy restaurants. Some cities like Miami are notorious for this. It is amazing how many people are too paranoid to shop safely online but will happily give their card to strange server in a busy restaraunt and not notice it is 20 minutes before their card is back at their table.

Leave your cards at home when you don't need them, rather than always having them in your wallet or purse. Remember, some thieves put a lot of thought and effort into figuring out how to get the real cards. They know that people leave their wallets in a locker at the gym, in their desk at work, or don't keep an eye on them when shopping. It's not unusual for those who make fake cards to spend a lot of time at the mall before they've made the cards - looking for those who aren't paying attention to their purses or wallets, and so are an easy target for pickpockets.

Also, you may have heard a lot of reminders of how important it is to shred your credit card and bank statements when they come in the mail. There is a good reason for this!. The bogus card industry involves constant dumpster diving and trash picking, looking for those discarded statements with your numbers on them. Many experts believe you are more likely to get your credit card numbers stolen through this method than anything else. A small shredder you can keep in your home is an affordable but powerful protection. Shredders are definitely worth the money they cost and the few minutes they take to use.

If you're careful about your real credit cards and their numbers, you'll be much less likely to find that one of your legitimate and hard-earned account numbers has been stolen for use on a phoney card.

And if you don't believe the problem is real, check out this news story on fake credit cards: Four charged with counterfeiting credit cards, not surprisingly a story out of Florida, fake card capital of the US.

You can also read this fascinating Wikipedia article on the internet criminal gang ShadowCrew who ran a booming online business in fake card numbers.

The bottom line is that there are much easier ways to make money online. I have been living LEGALLY off the internet since 2004 and so I KNOW it can be done without breaking the law or shonky "get rich quick" schemes. You don't need a phoney credit card - try this license to print money instead.

Get YOUR FREE COPY of the "License To Print Money 2009!" and discover a very simple way to earn a constant flow of cash which you can repeat over and over again! Making Serious Money Online Has Never Been So Simple!

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