Carpark scam hits thousands.

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wmoore

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#50491 25-Nov-2009 08:18

Click here

It must of been happening for a long time, for thousands to be affected, Why do people pay parking with their credit cards. Is parking that expensive ? It would more likely be a skimming device rather than being hacked into, and a carpark is a good spot to fit one, with it's not so good lighting and people only interested
in getting back to their cars. Maybe even an 'inside' job ?

Thoughts.

"In the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years." -
-- Abraham lincoln

xpd

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#276050 25-Nov-2009 08:24

In Auckland, parking fee's are a scam in themselves.... but I was watching Fair Go the other night and they said Auckland is actually pretty cheap compared some Euopean countries where paying $100 a day is normal. Guess it encourages public transport use.....

Gavin / xpd / FastRaccoon / Geek of Coastguard New Zealand

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bazzer

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#276060 25-Nov-2009 08:42

wmoore: Click here

It must of been happening for a long time, for thousands to be affected, Why do people pay parking with their credit cards. Is parking that expensive ? It would more likely be a skimming device rather than being hacked into, and a carpark is a good spot to fit one, with it's not so good lighting and people only interested
in getting back to their cars. Maybe even an 'inside' job ?

Thoughts.

I pay with CC because it's more convenient than paying with cash (having the right change/gettign change etc). Plus I get up to 55 days interest free. Plus I get rewards. Do people really still carry cash these days?!

Adamal

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#276061 25-Nov-2009 08:55

xpd: In Auckland, parking fee's are a scam in themselves.... but I was watching Fair Go the other night and they said Auckland is actually pretty cheap compared some Euopean countries where paying $100 a day is normal. Guess it encourages public transport use.....

Problem is, in most European countries, public transport is efficient and a viable solution. Whereas public transport in Auckland is a joke.

rscole86

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#276067 25-Nov-2009 08:59

I hope the machines were not storing card details, as they actually stated how people were being ripped off.

sbiddle

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#276072 25-Nov-2009 09:10

It's more than likely a skimming issue.

Credit card security here in NZ is exceptionally poor compared to European standards. As a result of chip&pin becoming the defacto standard in most of Europe now we're seeing plenty of European scammers (mainly Romanians) now targeting NZ and Australia.

There is going to be a massive rollout of chip cards here in the 1st half of 2010, at least it'll go some way to stopping some of the fraud.

nate

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#276120 25-Nov-2009 10:56

sbiddle: It's more than likely a skimming issue.

I don't think it is. I've used those machines many times and to fit a skimming device, without opening up the machine, would be near impossible - it would have to be affixed on the outside which would stick out like a sore thumb.

Both scottjpalmer and I have had our credit cards replaced, and I was trying to figure out which merchant we've both used. Turns out the payment system at the carpark is the common denominator.

Damnit.

wmoore

510 posts

Ultimate Geek

#276131 25-Nov-2009 11:14

nate:
sbiddle: It's more than likely a skimming issue.

I don't think it is. I've used those machines many times and to fit a skimming device, without opening up the machine, would be near impossible - it would have to be affixed on the outside which would stick out like a sore thumb.

Both scottjpalmer and I have had our credit cards replaced, and I was trying to figure out which merchant we've both used. Turns out the payment system at the carpark is the common denominator.

Damnit.

You would be surpised how clever these skimming devices can be.
Have a look at this PDF from CBA in Australia

"In the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years." -
-- Abraham lincoln

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grala

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#276266 25-Nov-2009 17:51

I'm the operations manager for a downtown Auckland carpark. And there are basically three possibilities:

1. Hacking the system computer, a possibility when system comps are set up for remote access

2. Skimming devices - as someone said above, these are unlikely as they are often obvious to customers and staff who familiar with the paystations

3. Staff inside job - I would say this is the most likely situation with that downtown carpark. A disgruntled employee stole and sold the credit card details