What is Card Cloning?

How to clone a credit card, Card cloning is a sort of fraud in which the information on a payment card is secretly and unlawfully replicated. Essentially, it is a method for criminals to replicate the information on a transaction card without taking the card itself.

This data is then duplicated onto a new or reformatted card, allowing thieves to make fraudulent transactions or obtain unauthorized access to a person’s accounts.

Credit card cloning is the most prevalent type, although debit card cloning is also popular. Card cloning might target any sort of card that can be used to authorize payment or account access, including gift cards. Some people will prefer to buy cloned credit cards online from retailers

How Does Card Cloning Work?

The most prevalent type of card cloning is called “skimming,” and it operates as follows:

1. Criminals place a “skimmer” in an ATM or point-of-sale terminal, which is a credit card cloning mechanism that discreetly reads and duplicates card information.
2. A customer’s card is inserted into the ATM or POS device’s card reader (to ease the transaction) and the skimmer (to copy the card’s information).
3. The information copied by the skimmer is recovered by the crooks.
4. The stolen information can subsequently be used to perpetrate fraud, copied to a manufactured or stolen card (i.e. card cloning), and/or sold on the black market.

So, how does card cloning work technically? Payment cards may store and transfer data in a variety of ways, therefore the tools and methods used to clone cards will differ depending on the circumstances. We’ll go through this in more detail later.

Magnetic Stripe

A magnetic strip runs down the back of most payment cards. In the same manner as a cassette tape holds an audio signal, this strip stores and sends analog transaction information.

Unfortunately, this approach provides no encoding security, making it simple to clone magstripe-only cards with even the most basic skimming machine. As a result, these cards are being phased out in numerous areas.

EMV Chip

A microchip implanted in contemporary payment cards is known as an EMV (Europay, Mastercard, and Visa) chip. Each transaction conducted with the card is dynamically encrypted. This makes accessing the real authorization information impossible, even if a crook attempts to clone the card. how to clone a credit card

However, it is not without flaws. Thieves have created devices known as “shimmers” that function in the same manner as skimmers but on cards with EMV chips. They’ve also worked out how to send digital data from an EMV chip to an analog magnetic strip. This essentially clones the card while circumventing the EMV chip’s protection.

Contactless Tap

The most recent payment cards include radio frequency identification technology (RFID). This enables them to send transaction information to a card reader merely by being close by, without having to physically put the card into a slot. This helps to avoid skimmers and shimmers, but it is not without flaws.

Criminals have created an RFID-enabled card copying gadget that they may wear while strolling along the street. This enables them to steal information from RFID-enabled cards just by being close enough to their owners. Click here to read more on clone cards and their legal actions

Using Cloned Credit Cards

The majority of credit card cloning fraud is committed by skimmers. Skimmers scan credit card information such as numbers, PINs, and CVV data from the magnetic stripe and may be added to hardware such as POS terminals or ATMs, allowing them to steal the information of anyone who uses that hardware.

Criminals can even install a fake keypad on POS terminals or ATMs to obtain PIN information.

Once the information has been obtained, the thief can create an actual credit card connected to the funds of another individual. The original cardholder may be unaware that this has occurred; nevertheless, it is feasible to detect by reviewing their financial documents and bank accounts, as well as checking to see whether their credit score has altered.

Examples of Credit Card Cloning Fraud

There are various methods for capturing the information required to create a cloned card. A thief may simply peer over someone’s shoulder to obtain their card’s PIN, or they may utilize social engineering techniques to compel a person into disclosing this information. They might even build a phony keypad on an ATM or point-of-sale device to steal anyone’s PIN when they input a card.

Here are some examples of popular card cloning instances.

1. Point of Sale terminal skimming

Criminals install a skimmer device on a merchant’s POS equipment, which is sometimes as simple as putting it into a USB port. To make matters even simpler, they may hire one of the merchant’s workers or technicians to install the skimmer and collect the stolen data on their behalf.

The skimmer then captures the card data when a consumer swipes their payment card through the machine. This information is subsequently communicated to (or obtained by) fraudsters, who use it to clone cards, make fraudulent purchases, or steal money from bank accounts.

Some ingenious fraudsters are adapting fraudulent POS machines to display the credentials of legitimate merchants. Then they make fraudulent return transactions to load gift cards or debit cards, after which they pay off the stolen funds. how to clone a credit card

2. ATM skimming

Fraudsters use ATM skimmers to steal information from bank cards in order to get illicit access to other people’s accounts.

The skimmer is usually put on top of the original card reader, but it is so identical in size, color, and texture that it is difficult to detect. The skimmer might also be placed into the terminal or along the exposed wire.

Criminals may also place a tiny covert camera in front of the ATM, or near the keyboard, to capture a victim’s bank card PIN. Alternatively, they may place a fake keypad on top of the genuine keypad to record the victim’s keystrokes and thereby steal their PIN.

3. Fuel pump skimming

At large branded gas stations, “pay at the pump” is anticipated, and fraudsters are taking advantage of this to clone cards. The skimmer they install is frequently hidden within the internal wiring of the payment processing system, so clients are unaware of its presence.

As a result, rather than using a credit or debit card at the checkout or the pump, it may be better to simply pay the store attendant with cash.

Six ways to prevent your card from being cloned

Card cloning is on the rise, therefore it’s more crucial than ever to secure your plastic. Libby James, the co-founder of www.merchantadviceservice.co.uk, has outlined the seven best techniques to protect your credit cards and cash.

Use a credit card where you can

Credit cards are frequently a safer bet than debit cards since they contain legal fraud safeguards for consumers that debit cards do not have.

For example, if you’re making a large online purchase or giving over your credit card at a bar to open a tab, use your credit card for greater liability protection.

Sign on the back of the card

It may seem obvious, but many individuals forget to sign the back of their business cards when they arrive in the mail, all bright and new.

Simply remembering to sign the back of your card verifies that it belongs to you and is a crucial step in protecting yourself against fraud.

Invest in a card guard

Card guards are another great option that is simple to implement and inexpensive. Simply insert your card-guard into your wallet, handbag, or cardholder to protect the personal information on all of your cards.

When flying or commuting through a public location, this may make all the difference in making you feel comfortable and secure, as well as ensuring that no one can use or clone your card while it’s tucked away on your person. how to clone a credit card

Don’t share your pin

This may seem obvious, but NEVER give out your PIN number to anybody. People frequently utilize memorable numbers, such as their birthday or address, which are both pretty easy to break or guess.

Randomize your PIN and change it periodically (as most banking apps now allow you to do).

Before using an ATM, look for evidence of manipulation. This may not be noticeable at first, but keep an eye out for unusual-looking card slots, such as the keypad being elevated or any other elements that do not appear to be correct. Make a point of inspecting the ATM.

Another thing you may do is cover the keypad when putting in your PIN number to avoid any hidden cameras from obtaining your information. How to duplicate credit cards

Don’t store your card information on your phone

Please resist the temptation to save your card information on your phone, such as your 16-digit number, expiry date, and three-digit security code, so that you may make online purchases while you’re not in the same room as your purse or wallet.

Keeping a note on your phone with all of your passwords and PIN codes is also a poor idea.

You’re putting yourself at risk, locked or not. Another suggestion is to uncheck the box that asks you to save your credit card information while purchasing online.

Although entering your credit card information every time you buy is time-consuming, you are saving your skin and preserving your plastic.

Set up a two-step authentication for online transactions( how to clone a credit card)

It just takes two minutes to set up two-step authentication on your cell phone, and it is well worth it.

This means that when you make an online purchase, your bank will give you an OTP (one-time password) to your phone to confirm that you are the one making the transaction. This is an extra layer of protection to guarantee you have complete control over your cards and purchases.