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What a surprise...

The Chip and Pin system is just as easy to "crack" as the old "sign for it" was. We told you this would be the case and we also told you that the next "logical" step to combat fraud would be the introduction of first the biometric card and then the RFID chip under the skin (and we did it HERE, HERE and HERE!.

Why bother bothering with the biometric stepping stone? Why not just go straight for the RFID chip system for your banking, passport and ID card?

Seriously, think about it...

Did these huge corporations with almost unlimited financial resources really believe that having a 4 digit PIN number was going to solve the fraud problem?

I use my wife's card regularly (but don't tell her that!) and, because the retailer is not even supposed to touch the card now, they have no idea that the card says MRS on it. At least under the old system that was one problem that never arose.

So, if they knew it wouldn't work then why did they do it?

Because they need everybody to believe that they are doing there best to solve the problem so that when it fails they can tell you that the RFID chip will be THE solution and we will believe them because they are on our team, aren't they?

Did they really believe that the little piece of plastic around the number pad was going to stop people from looking over your shoulder and seeing you type your PIN? Of course they didn't.

Did they really think that a retailer having no contact whatsoever with your card was going to stop fraud in its tracks when in reality it just got rid of one of the few obvious checks that can take place at the moment of payment? Of course they didn't.

Do they really believe that online fraud has increased dramatically or is it possible that the £32 million increase in the the same year that Chip and Pin was introduced exists simply because the number of online purchases are increasing so quickly? Of course they don't.

Why does the article quote percentages for the amount that fraud has dropped by overall but a money figure for the amount of online fraud? Because the percentage that shows a "success story" is useful for convincing everybody that they are trying their best and will continue to do so for the good of the consumer whilst the cash figure SOUNDS like the rate of fraud in the fastest growing area of our lives is increasing.

Can anybody find me the actual percentage increases of online purchasing and online fraud..They would be the really interesting numbers, wouldn't they?

"They" want to give you your chip. "They" want it to be an easy transition. "They" will stop at nothing to do it.

"You" have to say no before it is too late.

Would you like to know the easiest way of getting rid of ALL financial fraud? Stop using money and start living like communities again where everybody has a role that benefits the community and nobody is left without the basic needs and rights of a human being.

Does that really sound so awful?

Wednesday 10th May 2006 | Sky News

Fraudsters have found a new way of copying chip and pin cards to steal money. More than £1m was swiped from people's bank accounts just last week. Criminals do this by attaching skimming devices to the terminals in shops and restaurants to copy credit card magnetic strips.

Security expert Mike Bond said the kit needed to make one of the skimming devices could be bought on the internet for little more than £50.

He claimed fully assembled devices were available from companies in the US for between £200 and £300.

Mr Bond said fraudsters would then need a corrupt member of staff to either read people's pins over their shoulder or install a hidden camera to record them.

He said: "We are talking about using chip and pin terminals to produce a clone of the magnetic strip.

"There is now a new way to collect information for carrying out an old-style fraud."

The security flaw led to Shell suspending the devices at around 600 of its petrol stations.

Chip and pin cards have had a big impact on card fraud, which fell by 13% to £439.4m during 2005.

But online, phone and mail-order fraud shot up by £32m in the same year.