While much attention focuses on AI-powered digital fraud, old-fashioned credit card scams remain a serious financial threat. A WIRED report highlights two vintage methods: counterfeit cards sent through the mail and skimmers attached to payment terminals. Both are still costing victims around the world, and authorities are still bringing charges.
In Portugal, France, and Germany, criminals have mailed fake replacement cards with letters claiming existing cards are expiring. Victims are directed to scan a QR code or visit a URL to activate the card, leading to fake banking sites that harvest credentials. Georg Hauer, an advisor for digital banks, says the physical card acts as a trust token, and production costs have fallen as AI makes it easier to copy card designs.
Separately, US authorities indicted two Romanian nationals for allegedly skimming SNAP benefits from magnetic-stripe-only EBT cards. The FBI says EBT skimming has risen since 2021. US Attorney Phillip W. Williams Jr. said skimmer fraud losses in the US exceed $1 billion annually, though that figure covers multiple types of skimming. Gary Warner of DarkTower notes that cloned mag-stripe cards can access current and future benefits.
The article advises consumers to avoid swiping cards when possible and to inspect terminals for tampering. Mastercard says it will stop issuing striped cards in 2029 and phase them out by 2033, but until then, old-school scams remain a practical concern for businesses and benefit programs.