# Someone drained our bank account...

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-drained-our-bank-account/216147>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [December 1, 2003, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-drained-our-bank-account/216147 "2003-12-01T01:28:52Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![AngelicGemma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/439d5e/32.png) [@AngelicGemma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngelicGemma)\
**Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-drained-our-bank-account/216147/21 "2003-12-01T21:13:19Z")

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Good to hear you’re getting your money back

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**Author:** ![Chimpy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@Chimpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimpy)\
**Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-drained-our-bank-account/216147/22 "2003-12-01T21:36:08Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by World Eater \*  
> \*\*I wonder about the actual logistics of using a sniffer, (not that we need to discuss the fine details here) because it sounds like someone would need access to the hardware of the ATM. \*\*

its a not electronic manual thing, looking over your shoulder as you type your PIN. well thats what i’ve always thought of it/ been told it is as

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**Author:** ![hardygrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a3d4f5/32.png) [@hardygrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hardygrrl)\
**Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-drained-our-bank-account/216147/23 "2003-12-02T00:52:22Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Lady Venom \*  
> \*\*
> 
> I’m in Ottawa as well and we had this happen to us last January. We were able to figure out where my s/o’s card was cloned and reported it. I will tell you it was a popular gas station at the corner of Baseline & Merivale.
> 
> \*\*

Gas stations are very common points of compromise for counterfeit cards - as are restaurants. The server takes the card, walks away and you don’t see them swipe it - they can swipe once for the bill and a second through a sniffer for the counterfeit.  
Counterfeit cards can be **very** hard to detect if the fraud people are skilled. It will look like a valid card - up to the hologram.

It amazes me daily how skilled some fraud people are - too bad they don’t use those skills for good.

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