Credit Cards/Chip and Pin/ATM withdrawls

AFAIAC it is a status symbol to have failed to take up their unsolicited offers one receives amongst the other junk mail. ;-)

"Peter Hucker" wrote

Funnily enough, I don't generally go around giving strangers "access" to my pocket!

In order to fraudulently use my card, the "thief standing behind" would need to subsequently steal the card from me. That's also all the person watching at the postbox would need to do!

I have never been offered one. I thought you only got them in the US.

Some people must - or pickpockets would not exist.

Then don't take your card to the postbox.

"Peter Hucker" wrote

True, but just because scammers exist only due to there being mugs who fall for their scams, does not mean that

*I* shouldn't bother being careful not to fall for their scams!

"Peter Hucker" wrote

So, how does that stop them following me home & stealing the card later?

The point is, the banks say "you should never write down your PIN". I wonder why that is?

In message , Tim writes

Yes, but he would also have to do it without you noticing, because if you did notice you would immediately report the card lost, and then its not your problem.

I was suggesting why people IN GENERAL should cover their pin typing, not you specifically.

How would they know you were posting a pin? (Unless they can hear a pin drop.....)

If they followed you back to your house and broke in, the pin is the least of your worries.

Because it could be stolen alongwith the card. (I assume they mean written on a scrap of paper in your wallet)

P.S. - do you have a program to do that realigned quoting? I like it.

"Peter Hucker" wrote

It might not even be a stranger. It might be someone who knew me - who might have a better chance of sneaking away the card for a while unnoticed...

The point is simply that you cannot be

*sure* that the PIN is safe, if it has been sent through the post in "plain text"...

"Peter Hucker" wrote

Your comment suggests that it's OK writing it down, as long as it's not *with* the card. So I'll ask again - why don't the banks send out PIN notifications in "plain text"?

Especially when the "security feature" ('grey on grey' etc) causes some people problems reading it - such as the person in this newsgroup who was suggested to take a friend & the PIN notification to an ATM to change the PIN!

Pick your friends more carefully.

99.99999999999% = 100% as far as I'm concerned. You're more likely to be hit by a bus walking home (especially with the way they dive around here).

It is. Is a robber going to find my wallet AND the place I wrote the pin down when he breaks in? Unlikely.

Because your address is included. Don't include your address when posting your requested pin to the bank.

They need to use that credit card to buy glasses.

Seems sensible to me. I recently took 4 credit cards and a slip of paper with all the pins on it to an ATM to change the numbers.

I have had several offers, starting with a basic card of course.

"Peter Hucker" wrote

I didn't say "friend", I said "someone who knew me". I'm not worried about my *friends*!

"Peter Hucker" wrote

Shame that the odds of fraud aren't that safe!

"Peter Hucker" wrote

I doubt it - I never go wandering in the road!

"Peter Hucker" wrote

I'm not concerned about him finding "the place [you] wrote the pin down" - I'm more concerned about someone intercepting the PIN through the post (that isn't hidden at all!).

"Peter Hucker" wrote

Hehe - how do I get it into the post, into a postbox

*not* in my "neighbourhood", without anyone having the chance of knowing it came from me (and hence being able to trace it back to me)?

I think you'll find that in the real world buses don't walk home at all, never mind on water.

Lloyds TSB refused to give me a regular card, then offered me a platinum, which I accepted and was given. Hmmmm....

On Sat, 07 Jan 2006 14:55:43 -0000, Tim wrote:

Don't make so many enemies then!

They are if I post my chosen pin and a reference number that only me and the bank could identify me with.

Buses can mount pavements.

"I saw a small white lorry/van taking the corner in a rather haphazard fashion, straying into the lane of traffic that comes down from Uxbridge Road. This might have been OK, but a double decker bus was pretty much occupying the piece of space that the van was now careering towards. The bus driver tooted his horn, but the van didn't get out of the way in time and in order to avoid a collision the bus driver had no real option but to brake and turn to the left. This meant he inevitably mounted the pavement, smashing into a bin and a couple of Christmas trees and a lamp post. The lamp post stopped the bus, but the impact, whilst far from being heavy, was enough to bring the lamp post crashing down to earth in my direction. I saw a small white lorry/van taking the corner in a rather haphazard fashion, straying into the lane of traffic that comes down from Uxbridge Road. This might have been OK, but a double decker bus was pretty much occupying the piece of space that the van was now careering towards. The bus driver tooted his horn, but the van didn't get out of the way in time and in order to avoid a collision the bus driver had no real option but to brake and turn to the left. This meant he inevitably mounted the pavement, smashing into a bin and a couple of Christmas trees and a lamp post. The lamp post stopped the bus, but the impact, whilst far from being heavy, was enough to bring the lamp post crashing down to earth in my direction."

You really are paranoid aren't you? Do you ever leave your house at all?

ROTFPMSL!

P.S. don't f*ck about with the groups line without admitting to it. I don't subscribe to uk.finance.

"Peter Hucker" wrote

Why does someone have to be either a "friend" or an "enemy"?

"Peter Hucker" wrote

It only takes *one* occurence out of (say) 100 million credit cards, to be down to 99.999999%. Are you so sure absolutely *no-one* will ever trace a PIN from being sent "plain text" in the post?

To be "99.99999999999%", as you suggested, would need to be one in

10 million million (or 10,000 "billion" if you prefer).

I don't think that every man, woman & child on the entire planet have an average of over 1,500 credit cards each!!

"Peter Hucker" wrote

No matter. I never "walk home" anyway!

"Peter Hucker" wrote

Did it happen *twice*?!

"Peter Hucker" wrote

Nope, not at all - just careful with my PIN!

"Peter Hucker" wrote

Whenever I want to. Around a couple of times a week, on average!

You would trust and let a friend into your house.

An enemy might hate you badly enough to senak in and steal your dosh.

Bloody pedant. You knew perfectly well what I meant.

Lazy git. Does one drive one's BMW?

This keyboard is not reliable. There are seed husks stuck under the keys.

I must have double pecked paste.

TOO careful.

Recluse!

"Peter Hucker" wrote

And what about other people? Not everyone is either a friend or an enemy!

"Peter Hucker" wrote

Hardly "lazy". I used to walk 3-4 miles home happily, but nowadays a

15 mile walk home is just a bit too much.

"Peter Hucker" wrote

Nope, I can safely say that I've never owned a BMW. Why?

"Peter Hucker" wrote

That's a matter of opinion!

"Peter Hucker" wrote

Comes with the location, and working from home...

Then they would be strangers. But you said earlier "It might be someone who knew me"

Do you live in the outer hebrides?

Not walking home seemed a bit upper class.

There's a thin line between careful and insane. But you're quite clearly over that side.

Lucky git.

I retract that. I have to drive every day to work, I'd go insane without driving.