Sister Inlaw Victim of Walmart Point of Sale Debit Card Hack

[sevlex]

Just got a call from her. She said she went into Wallyworld a couple of days ago to make a quick purchase with her debit card. Shortly after she got calls from her bank because someone bought $2000 of Walmart gift cards at the same store using her info! Fortunately the bank shut it down before they cleaned out her bank account. She never picked up the messages until tonight when she tried to buy gas and the card was declined.

Now, I wonder if this was an isolated case or if there is a nationwide hack.

Meanwhile, I told to stop using her debit card...Period.

[Krupski]

Just got a call from her. She said she went into Wallyworld a couple of days ago to make a quick purchase with her debit card. Shortly after she got calls from her bank because someone bought $2000 of Walmart gift cards at the same store using her info! Fortunately the bank shut it down before they cleaned out her bank account. She never picked up the messages until tonight when she tried to buy gas and the card was declined.

Now, I wonder if this was an isolated case or if there is a nationwide hack.

Meanwhile, I told to stop using her debit card...Period.

I only use a debit card... don't have any credit cards. We have several different checking accounts, and one "main" account that is not tied to checks or cards. The only way to get money out of that account is to log in and move it from one account to another.

I leave around $100 or so on my debit card for gas or other odds and ends, but to buy more expensive stuff I transfer the money, then spend it so that there is never a lot on the card to steal.

If someone manages to fraud my card (which has happened TWICE already - once by someone in FRANCE!) all they get is $100 or less.

[LAGC]

All the Walmarts here in Boise use the new EMV chip technology card readers, that can read the microchips built into newer credit cards (instead of swiping), which supposedly encrypts your transaction data so that even if hackers break in and plant malicious software on the point-of-sale computers (like with Target and Home Depot just recently), all the transaction data is encrypted, so the thieves get nothing.

Europe is way ahead of us at this game:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/tomgroen...ng-to-the-u-s/

Stupid U.S. banks and retailers thought it was "too much hassle" to implement years ago, so of course hackers turned their sights from Europe here to the U.S. to pilfer and plunder unsecured credit card data.

The main problem with using a debit card is that if you ever have to contest a charge, you don't get the money back in your account until its successfully resolved (which could take weeks). Whereas with credit cards, you get your credit restored immediately while they investigate. Better to just use a credit card and pay it off every month. That way you can rack up hundreds of dollars in rewards points as well.

[Ruskiegunlover]

Simple solution, shoot the people who do this. They care not for how badly they can damage a persons life by stealing from them, so why should we care? I advocate, if caught, they are shot.

Yes, this happened to me about a year ago. Someone charged roughly 2,000 to our bank account. Bank put it back, shut off the card, and stopped it. I say the only way of stopping it is to find the culprits and shoot them.

[LAGC]

Jimmy Johns just announced a data breach as well:

http://www.idahostatesman.com/2014/0...99/1687/&ihp=1

I checked my records and it looks like I did use a credit card at one of their stores back in late June. Guess I better start watching that account like a hawk.

This shit is getting really old, really quick.