The risk of crooks stealing your wallet on the street if you don’t keep it safe is the same as the risk of cybercriminals taking your card details if you don’t protect yourself properly. And we are all potential victims of Internet attacks. This is warned by the National Cybersecurity Institute (INCIBE), which in recent times has detected an increase in carding, that is, a type of scam that uses information from stolen cards to use them fraudulently.
Our bank card data is a growing asset for cybercriminals. They use a multitude of tactics to achieve them, from social engineering practices to the theft of databases, to the malicious use of NFC technology. Properly protecting our banking data is vital to avoid security breaches that expose them to these types of attacks.
Carding is a type of fraud with two different phases. In the first of them, cybercriminals use different techniques to obtain the victims’ card data, such as:
The second phase consists of verifying the stolen card data by making purchases. Cybercriminals usually spend small amounts at first, which are increased to try to guess what the available balance is on the card. The final objective is sometimes to resell the purchased products at a price below the market value.
To prevent carding, it is vital to rigorously apply a series of tips to protect your bank details from scam attempts.
If, even after following these tips, you suspect that you have been a victim of carding, do not hesitate to contact your bank to find a solution and gather all possible evidence to report the facts to the State Security Forces and Bodies.
