Physical card scams persist as fraud moves online
Fake replacement-card letters and magnetic-stripe skimming remain in use, WIRED reports, even as digital fraud expands.
Physical card scams continue alongside online fraud, according to a WIRED report, with criminals using fake replacement-card letters and magnetic-stripe skimmers to target consumers.
In recent years, such letters have been reported in Portugal, France and Germany. They may claim a current card is expiring and direct recipients to activate a replacement through a QR code or web address. WIRED reports that these links can lead to fake banking sites designed to capture account details.
Skimming remains a concern in the United States, where authorities last week indicted two Romanian nationals over alleged theft involving SNAP benefits distributed through electronic benefit transfer cards. The indictment contains allegations, and does not establish guilt.
The FBI says EBT skimming has grown in popularity since about 2021. WIRED also reports that magnetic-stripe readers can be used to capture data from cards that have chips, including at some non-bank ATMs and smaller merchants.
Mastercard said it plans to stop issuing cards with magnetic stripes in 2029, with its remaining cards expected to leave circulation by 2033. Until then, WIRED advises verifying card notices through trusted channels, avoiding swipes where possible and checking terminals for signs of tampering.
