Especially cardiebles
Less fraud damage with the Girocard
When map data and secret number fall into the hands of criminals, this is often high damage. Modern technology helps. But there is a weak point in the system.
Laxer handling of the secret number is the largest gateway for damage to the Girocard. “Significantly more than half of the damage in the girocard system is created by the abusive use of the card with PIN at ATM. Many consumers still make it very easy for criminals by keeping both together in the wallet,” says Andreas Peppler, head of security management at Euro card systems. The Frankfurt facility takes care of payment card security on behalf of the credit industry.
The damage in total in 2024 was slightly declining at a comparatively low level, Peppler sums up. He also does not want to give a magnitude on request. The last official statement is available for 2022, at that time the damage added up to around 29 billion euros.
Criminals draw cash “professionally”
“But the damage that arises as a result of the theft of cards goes up significantly – even where cards are captured without PIN,” says Peppler. If a Girocard criminals fell into the hands – in the case of pickpocketing, burglaries or car rumps – also professionally scored these cash through contactless payments without a secret number (PIN) at the box office.
In 92.5 percent of the damage, however, the criminals authenticate themselves, that is: they have the physical card plus PIN or they have succeeded in sneaking a copy of a digital card and loading them into their wallet on their smartphone.
Hardly any data on the ATM
On the other hand, the spying on sensitive customer data through the manipulation of ATMs plays hardly any more: “Skimming is no longer attractive because criminals with the magnetic strip data can basically not do anything. In the first quarter of this year, no message for manipulation of ATMs in Germany has achieved us,” says Peppler.
Cartrels basically only work in countries that still use relatively easily copied magnetic strips. The so-called EMC technology has prevailed worldwide. The authenticity of payment cards is checked with the help of a built-in mini-computer with every use.
Industry wants to reduce damage with even more information
“There is no longer the topic of maps,” says Peppler. In 2024, euro card systems were only reported 46 cases in which imitated cards were misused abroad. “We had the last cases in Brazil and a couple in the USA where a fake magnetic strip card was used. The topic has been cleared.”
Peppler emphasizes: “The chip card is certain that you can really say. The infrastructure is certain. The biggest weakness in the system is man, it is the easiest to open the castle to be opened in this safety chain.” With even more information, the industry hopes to further reduce fraud damage.
dpa
Source: Stern
