Credit Card Security: Chipped Cards. Are You Safer?

All Security Reviews Staff · January 27, 2016

Credit Card Security: Chipped Cards. Are You Safer?

You’ve likely added a chip-enabled credit card or two to your wallet in the past few months. Many industry experts say EMV cards are safer, but that doesn’t mean Americans are immune to fraud. As major credit companies continue to roll out the cards —an unofficial deadline of last October long passed — the FBI issued a warning: That shiny chip doesn’t completely stop thieves in their tracks. “While (the new) cards offer enhanced security, the FBI is warning law enforcement, merchants, and the general public that these cards can still be targeted by fraudsters,” the agency said in the release. The chip-enabled cards rely, in part, on a system adopted by European countries years ago. The card issues a unique code for each transaction, which helps authenticate your purchases. In contrast, “swipe” cards store your payment data in their magnetic strips — an easy target for thieves who can easily steal the information contained in the strip and transfer it to a fake. Still, the “dip” cards issuers began rolling out last fall are missing a key component that has made the switch a success in Europe: PIN numbers. Merchants and banks use a two-pronged approach to keep consumers secure: the chip produces a unique code, and the card carrier inputs a PIN number for each transaction. Without the PIN, industry leaders argue the United States forfeits that second level of protection. The U.S. has instead adopted so-called “dip and signature” cards, meaning retailers should verify the signature on the back of the card with each purchase. That may be wishful thinking. In the real world, a thief carrying a stolen card could likely get away with a phony purchase. Signature-only cards also leave consumers just as vulnerable to online, phone and mail purchases. Fraudsters have caught on. “Cyber criminals understand now that stealing from chip and PIN is harder,” said Brian Dodge, a spokesperson with the Retail Industry Leaders Association. “The U.S. is still less secure than the rest of the world. They are going to focus on the country that has the weakest technology.” Read on for ways to keep your cards — swipe and dip — safe.

All Security Reviews Staff avatar

All Security Reviews Staff

Our team at All Security Reviews (ASR) has extensive experience in the personal security industry. At ASR we bring this experience and expertise to you by reviewing security providers and grading each company through our proprietary Identity Protection Rating System.