Tuesday, February 06, 2007

BBC to show how emv-chip terminals can be manipulated

BBC is about to show an item tonight on skimming from POS-terminals:
Cambridge University researchers said details could be hijacked if a card is put into a doctored payment machine. Details can then be sent wirelessly to accomplices and purchases made using a fake card with those account details.

Both APACS and Currence (the Dutch scheme owner for PIN) were asked for a comment by the media. APACS pointed out that such a scheme requires an in-store accomplice. Dutch Currence, reacted a bit clumsily on similar questions by Planet Multimedia by stating that such methods and/or cases are known but they rather not wish to disclose more details. Implying that there would be much more to it.

Bottom line reality: yes, I can set up a fake shop, I can build a fake terminal and I can assume a fake identity to fraud anyone or anything I like. And yes, there may be risks out there where inside accomplices are part of the fraud. But that does not mean that all shops, passports, payment terminals are untrustworthy. Furthermore, if the unlikely yet possible situation arises of this type of fraud, banks will fully compensate the card owners.

So what's new(s)?