ryanmatic

Just an FYI. Apparently there's been some recent credit card skimming in the Los Altos/Mountain View area. No idea how much info they actually got, or where that info went. Definitely keep an eye on your statements, doubly so if you've used any of these gas stations recently.

Duo caught skimming credit card info at 5 local gas stations

This stuff is ridiculous. As much as I want fair charges brought against the guys responsible, new standards should be enforced on the station owners too, at the very least. If a machine captures that much sensitive customer data at volume, it should be behind more than just an apparently easy-to-duplicate key.

TougeHorseman

This is scarey, and another reason why I'm starting to use cash more than ever. I just don't want to take the risk. Its too easy for these punks to jack our CC#s, and too easy for the stores to avoid responsibility.

danvuquoc

Not like your cards aren't protected anyways -- sure its inconvenient if you get your CC cloned -- but is the small risk of having your CC cloned worth the inconvenience of going cash only everywhere? You're at risk anywhere, not just gas stations, but thats what consumer fraud-protection mechanisms are for.

ryanmatic

IMO, kind of. Canceling a card and reversing fraudulent charges is time consuming and requires you to go a week minimum without using the affected account. Having gone through that twice last fall, I've been happy to increasingly pay cash for things since then.

Though I do agree with you that plastic is convenient, and in the long run, safe.

rob-2

I can do it online and Bank Of America overnights cards to me.

The additional requirements to stop and get cash will exceed the rare issues of fraud charges.

rob-2

You honestly think this way?

When you get robbed because you have $500 on you, where will you be then? not wishing it on you, just suggesting there are downsides to cash.

Friend of mine was robbed at knife point for taking $200 out of an ATM and being followed back to his car. You know, he only does CC. Police never found the punks.

DaPhatty

Either way, you are screwed. But if I had to choose the lesser of two evils, I'd rather they take my cash than my identity.

Thanks for the heads up on this.

yamez

^ i have to agree. i rather be robbed with how much money i have with me rather than my whole bank account go caput (and the hassles of reversing the process.. so on and so forth)

well you always have a choice right?

TougeHorseman

Yes, I 100% do think that way.

I have a safe big enough to fit you inside in at my main house...and that's not the only safe.
The safe(s) is/are where I keep a 'reasonably sized withdrawal' to cover me, which avoids making multiple trips to the ATM.

I never ever carry a large quantity of cash on me, ever.
(Well, unless I'm meeting a complete stranger on CL to buy a s2k car part from...irony!!)
Walking around daily with $500 in my wallet would be a pointlessly risky exercise, especially with my tendency to lose things.

I do agree there are downsides to cash, and I still have a debit card I use for online and convenience purchases. I also deliberately have a bulk spare coin collection that I build up with the cash-only mentality. It's much like that credit card plan where they deposit the coin value to add up to the next dollar in your savings account.

ryanmatic

Nice. I wish my credit union/CC company were both that fast.

That sucks. I'm not advocating carrying hundreds of dollars around and never using credit. Hell, using credit INSIDE the gas stations mentioned in the article dramatically reduces the risk of skimming. For me though, carrying no more than $60 around in cash can substantially reduce the number of separate transactions I would otherwise do on credit.

No prob. After all the PSN bullshit this past month, I'm appreciating more and more just how easy it is to get screwed when it comes to credit/electronic funds/etc