Credit Card Skimmer Likes Internet Poker
April 23, 2006
Swedish police in Skaraborg, Sweden were closing in on
a credit card skimmer this week following reports of losses
on Internet poker sites that the real card holders had never
visited.
Nine local residents reported that their bank accounts
had been hit by withdrawals, apparently through large payments
to Internet poker websites that the card holders claimed
they had never visited. The complainants told the police
that according to their bank statements, each lost an average
of 10 000 kronor in the scam.
The police investigators quickly identified a common thread,
because all nine complainants had earlier shopped in the
same (non-gambling) venue.... and paid with the abused credit
cards.
The indications are that a cashier at the shop either wrote
down or otherwise recorded the critical information on the
credit cards, and then either sold on the information or
used the details to gamble in Internet poker rooms. The
fraudster is thought to have registered with false names
and addresses and then supplied the details from the cards.
The nine people who were prejudiced in the scam have been
reimbursed by the Internet poker rooms concerned, and an
arrest is thought to be imminent, according to a police
spokesman.
"It seems that the banks aren't putting any pressure on
these poker sites to begin checking that the card number
matches the name - maybe that's a bit slack," said police
Inspector Christer Jönsson in a remarkable understatement.
The case again highlights the need for care with credit cards...and a definite requirement for Internet poker room operators to tighten up on security checks. The police report did not identify the poker websites concerned.
Read more: http://www.online-casinos.com/news/news2107.asp
