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Tagged With "Credit Card Fraud"

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Re: A visit to Saudi Arabia: Part I

Travel Luver ·
What a bureaucratic nightmare! I wonder if there are countries that make it harder to visit than this one?
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Re: A visit to Saudi Arabia: Part I

Lestertheinvestor ·
Originally Posted by Travel Luver: What a bureaucratic nightmare! I wonder if there are countries that make it harder to visit than this one? My wife and I have visited 119 countries, with China, Bhutan and Saudi Arabia the most challenging to enter.
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Re: A visit to Saudi Arabia: Part I

HistoryDigger ·
My husband and I were invited to live there for two years while he did a medical fellowship in genetics. The challenge for me was that I am a very independent traveler, and I could not imagine how I would deal with the restrictions on women. In the end, those restrictions influenced our decision to go to Germany for two years instead. However, after having seen your photos, I am curious to see more. I regret that I do not know this part of the world.
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Re: Check Your Statement! A Big Hotel Credit Card Breach...

DrFumblefinger ·
You would think the cost of all this fraud would be more than enough to validate new chip and PIN rollout in the USA. Can't quite understand why the US banks are so resistent to this PHeymont. Have you an understanding of what their reasons are?
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Re: Check Your Statement! A Big Hotel Credit Card Breach...

Paul Heymont ·
It's been a long path. For a long time, observers thought it was because they were committed to contactless (RFID) technology as the next step...but that hasn't advances as fast as some predicted, and it has big security issues, too. Now that MC and Visa have set down a "you must comply or you will be responsible for fraudulent charges" rule for next year, we're seeing motion. BUT...so far most issuers have been sticking to chip-and-signature, not and-PIN, which guts the whole process.
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Re: Check Your Statement! A Big Hotel Credit Card Breach...

PortMoresby ·
I don't quite see why using a pin would prevent fraud of the type we're seeing on a large scale. Presumably, if the hackers continue to target terminals, the pin would be compromised too. Yes, we could change the pin but it would need to be done immediately, before the damage is done. What am I missing?
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Re: Check Your Statement! A Big Hotel Credit Card Breach...

DrFumblefinger ·
As I see it, PM, mostly they are just stealing the data off the magnetic strip. Or the PIN in the card has data that can also be copied, but that's a little hard than just scamming the read off the strip. With a PIN, that data, validated by your unique PIN (which you pick) are encrypted and sent off to the bank for approval. Not just the strip data, but the two together are the key. I have a credit card with a Canadian bank (chip and pin) which I prefer to use over the swipe and sign USA...
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Re: Check Your Statement! A Big Hotel Credit Card Breach...

Paul Heymont ·
In the most secure system, the PIN is known to you, the user, but is not in your records at the issuer. That's why if you forget your PIN, a new one can be generated, but no one can send you your "lost" PIN the way that passwords can be. In the PIN system, the first communication takes place at the terminal. The terminal reads the PIN from the chip on your card, and asks you to enter it on the pad. If it matches, the terminal does NOT send the PIN to the clearing house or merchant...it only...
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Re: Check Your Statement! A Big Hotel Credit Card Breach...

PortMoresby ·
So, if I understand it then, even if the hackers can read the entered pin keystrokes from the terminal keypad which we enter, it cannot be used without the card with the unique chip, which cannot be duplicated as a magnetic strip can be duplicated?
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Re: Check Your Statement! A Big Hotel Credit Card Breach...

Paul Heymont ·
That's correct. It is, of course, not totally impossible to create a duplicate chip, but it takes major equipment, not $5 worth of RadioShack parts...and it would also require much more information than can be harvested easily. The relative security (and it is relative) has driven over 80% of the world's credit card fraud toward the U.S. as other areas become more difficult. And once everyone is on board, the Trojan Horse mag stripe can come off the card as well.
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Re: Credit Card size Cameras ! Any Good?

GarryRF ·
Its 16MP so I reduced its quality. Camera is the same size as a Credit Card but obviously thicker ! I'll try a 16MP uncut.........
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Re: The Do's & Don'ts of Traveling to a Third World Country

Mac ·
Excellent advice Karina. On the "cash or cards" issue, I have found that the pre-loaded cards (with cash) available from companies like Thomas Cook (UK) & Moneycorp are very useful as you can get cash from an ATM when you need it or use it like a credit card - but the big plus is if it gets lost or stolen you get a fast replacement with the full balance of your account transferred to the new card.
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Re: Cuban Cars 2

Travel Rob ·
This should be on a post card! A great photo!
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Re: Flood of new agents to speed up Customs at JFK and Newark

GarryRF ·
The hold up in NY is that passengers - mostly just changing flights - have to enter the US. Then leave the US before getting an onward flight to other parts of the world. In non-US countries you can enter the International Lounge to wait for your next flight with no customs or visas. Just onward boarding card and passport. Quick and easy.
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Re: How Dumb can you be? Things not to say to the TSA

GarryRF ·
I'd love to be the "Mystery Shopper" when travelling through security. Some Airports are so welcoming and respectful. Others are just so rude and awkward because they can be. And the power kick feeds their ego. Both do the same job. To be able to pull a higher level TSA ID Card and tell someone " Go and see the company Psychiatrist !"
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Re: Replacing iPhone Abroad

HistoryDigger ·
UPDATE: We went to GRAVIS on Ehrensrasse 2 : http://www.gravis.de/filialen/koeln/koeln/ They told us that nobody will repair a wet a iPhone. So, upon their advice, we booked a genius appointment at the Apple Store in the suburbs of Cologne: https://www.apple.com/de/retail/rheincenter/ There, we can exchange our wet phone with a refurbished iPhone 5 for 250 euros. Not cheap, but we can put my husband's SIM card into the refurbished phone, and he'll be on his way. We're trying not to think...
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Re: Time To Hang Up My Boots - Almost !

DrFumblefinger ·
Garry was one of our 1st anniversary contest winners. Glad to see that you'll be using the gift card to promote future travels and exploration! Walk on!! I've got a pair of hiking boots not unlike your walking shoes, that I'll either need to get re-soled or throw away. They're so comfortable I think I'll need to get new soles on them.
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Visiting historic Skagway, Alaska

My Thatched Hut ·
    Skagway, Alaska owes its existence to the Klondike Gold Rush in the late 1800s.  There were three main routes to the Klondike.  One route was across Alaska.  A second was the all-Canadian route starting at Edmonton and...
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Memphis, Tennessee 2) The King's chariots

DrFumblefinger ·
      Elvis loved cars and mechanical toys of all types, including motorcycles and airplanes.  He had the money to indulge his passions, and you can see many of his favorites right across the street from Graceland .  The Elvis...
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Update: Loyalty Programs and Credit Cards

Paul Heymont ·
For some of us, credit cards are more than a convenient way to pay—they are the lifeline to free travel through loyalty programs. Between points for purchases and bonuses for opening or upgrading credit card accounts, it's possible to get quite...
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A Day in Lisbon

NonstopFromJFK ·
Lisbon was our first stop in Portugal. Getting around Lisbon was easy, we were able to take the Metro from the airport to where we were staying without any problems. We got the LisboaCard at the airport, which seemed like a great deal, but when we...
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Watch those search engines: the big ones are not always best!

Former Member ·
I was just booking a one-way trip from Barcelona to Marseille for next summer hoping to use some points sitting on a bank-based (but not airline-affiliated) card. Imagine my shock when the ticket (which I knew should cost about $89) showed up as...
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Bye Bye Sky-High Rental Car Fees

Former Member ·
Recently, a company charged me $ 9.00 a day for the privilege of using an e-toll pass to pay $ 2 in tolls during a week's rental.   Renting a car used to be somewhat simple - reserve, present license and credit card, drive, return, pay...
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, February 8, 2015: Toledo and Madrid

Non Stop Destination ·
  My first solo trip was to Madrid and Toledo in Spain.  I had been travelling for years, but always in a group.  This time I was on my own, and a little petrified.  I shouldn't have been as Madrid is easy to get around and the...
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A summer trip to Valencia, Spain

Andre Pur ·
Last Summer, in 2014, I went on an internship program in Valencia, Spain. My internship took place in a nice hotel near the center of the town and lasted 3 months.  While I was there I could visit and enjoy many touristic points while also...
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Booking.com Changes as Travelers Change : Interview With Stuart Frisby

Travel Rob ·
One of the biggest stories in travel over the last 20 years has been the growth of accommodation website, Booking.com. It was founded by a computer scientist, Geert-Jan Bruinsma in 1996 and is based in Amsterdam. Priceline bought Booking.com in 2005...
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MyMagic+ is magic moneymaker for Disney

Paul Heymont ·
MyMagic+, an electronic wristband that works as admission ticket, head-of-the-line ticket, charge card and hotel key, is making Walt Disney Co. enough money to offset the costs of its delayed Disney World Shanghai opening, according to Disney...
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Frontier's raising bag fees; will the other "low-costs" follow?

Paul Heymont ·
Frontier Airlines, which last year joined Spirit and Allegiant in the ULCC (ultra-low-cost-carrier) class that seems to mean ULC (ultra lots of charges) for most folks, is raising its fees for checked bags. The only checked bags that will not go up by...
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Hats off to Judy! Alaska employee rescues stranded Delta passenger

Paul Heymont ·
If this customer service story had been made up by Alaska Airlines to embarrass West Coast rival and also codeshare partner Delta, it would have been unbelievable...but they didn't, and it happened. USA Today reports on a Delta business traveler who...
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Will foreign transactions fees fade away?

Paul Heymont ·
Foreign transaction fees, that annoying 3% (usual rate) that your card issuer charges to translate your 100€ hotel room into dollars, seem to be fading...but slowly, according to a survey by creditcards.com.   The fees, which can add up to a...
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Don't Leave Home Without...80 million AmEx points

Paul Heymont ·
A Chinese billionaire who's been buying classic Chinese art works at auction is not likely ever to run out of loyalty awards; he's racked up over 80 million American Express Membership Rewards points in the past few months using his card to buy two...
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New Smartphone for Travelers

Travel Rob ·
Icon Q has come out with the Q5.5 Smartphone for $199. Why it's so useful for travelers is because it's unlocked and has two SIM card slots. One slot is for the US,the other slot is interchangeable for whichever country you are in. You leave your home...
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Road Trip, Day 4: Fort Mason, San Francisco

PortMoresby ·
    March 12, 2015   I drove south through Sonoma and Marin Counties, past the houseboats on the bay at Sausalito, across the Golden Gate Bridge into San Francisco, and arrived earlier than the hostel’s official 3:00 check-in...
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Beware of inflight pickpockets

DrFumblefinger ·
Many people on a flight relax and pay less attention to their private belongs than they would when physically walking somewhere.  That's especially true for long flights, where people get engaged in the inflight entertainment, or take a nap....
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Credit Card Car Rental Insurance Options

Travel Rob ·
I know auto rental insurance is not usually a good deal if you purchase it at the car rental place at the time and different credit cards already include the coverage if you book the rental with the card. I was made aware of the American Express Premium Car insurance available for AMEX cardholders and a few features make me think it might be worth the cost over their free coverage. First, it's considered primary coverage and you won’t have to file a claim with your insurance company first if...
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Zipcar adds more airports; tests one-way rentals

Paul Heymont ·
Zipcar, which rents cars by the hour to its members for short-term use, is expanding its on-airport locations, adding seven more for a total of over 50. The new ones include Orlando and Tampa.   For those who aren't familiar with Zipcar, it works...
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Is Visa everywhere you want to be?

Travel Rob ·
A Visa Ad Campaign for the Olympics Visa had the slogan “It’s everywhere you want to be" from 1995-2006. And in 2014, they brought back the slogan and trimmed it to “Everywhere you want to be” in their worldwide campaigns. I've tried to bring Visa branded credit cards or debit cards on my travels because of the wide acceptance of Visa. This year I've experienced something new to me on one of the Visa branded debit cards I purchased. I discovered that the biggest pre -paid debit card issuer...
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Amex's new idea: Plenti points across industries

Paul Heymont ·
American Express has launched a new points program, called Plenti, that has some unique features. It's a "coalition" program, which doesn't tie points to a particular card or industry. There are interesting features: Although Amex runs it, you can...
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Luxury Centurion Airport Lounge to Open in Miami - June, 2015

Travel Rob ·
          Photo from Centurion Lounge Dallas /Fort Worth American Express is set to open their latest Centurion Airport Lounge in Miami in June. It will be a ring shaped 8,000-square-foot space with tarmac...
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Spain's "ghost airport" will come to life with Ryanair

Paul Heymont ·
Spain's embarrassingly-empty Castellon-Costa Azahar airport, unused since it was opened with great ceremony nearly five years ago, will finally get passengers. Ryanair will announce a schedule of flights from U.K. and northern Europe today, according...
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AA-USAir loyalty merger...and a maybe last chance

Paul Heymont ·
American Airlines will merge its two loyalty programs "within 30 days" according to e-mails sent yesterday to all members of the USAir Dividend Miles program, which will be folded into the AAdvantage program. All existing miles will transfer; for some...
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United upgrades Newark Terminal——including meals for miles

Paul Heymont ·
United and the company that manages its Terminal C at Newark have a new way for you to burn miles: You can now use your United Mileage Plus points to buy food and merchandise in the terminal. It's believed to be the first place to allow in-person use...
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Easyjet Courts Business Travelers

Travel Rob ·
Budget airline EasyJet  will allow an extra handbag or laptop onto the plane for plus card members and people that paid extra for upfront or extra legroom seats.   EasyJet is following Ryanair , by going after business travelers.   Read...
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Sick of Your Credit Card Being Declined While Traveling? Visa Offers New Service

Travel Rob ·
  Visa Inc will soon offer an optional geo - location tracking for your mobile device. If the Visa cardholders mobile device is in the same place as the payment transaction, the issuing financial institution is more likely to approve the...
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Things To Take Care Off While Travelling Europe With Kids

kylesfunadventures ·
In case, you are looking for some tips for traveling with kids in Europe here is a unique Europe travel guide for you. There are few ways you can use to prepare your kids for Europe travel. Here we go: First of all you need to start by letting your bank know that you will be going across the borders and also name of the countries that you will be visiting. It will help them get prior notice about your tour and will have better chances of preventing frauds. Try to skip all those currency...
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Strasbourg: Self-service tour of Alsatian food

Paul Heymont ·
PHeymont tries something new: A self-service gourmet food tour, organized by the Strasbourg Office de Tourisme.
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Britain's Monarch Airlines folds, stranding thousands

Paul Heymont ·
A large British package-tour carrier is bankrupt, leaving 110,000 travelers to be brought home by government-chartered flights.
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Svartisdal, Norway, Part 2

Amateuremigrant ·
Bob Cranwell continues his tale of visits to the Svartisdal region in Norway, and some of the potential perils of hiking around this beautiful piece of geography.
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Spanish hotels cry foul on food poisoning claims

Paul Heymont ·
Spanish resorts fight back against a one-year 700% increase in food-related claims that cannot be checked because the guests have gone home.
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Out-Of-The-Box Last Minute Weekend Getaway Ideas

Andrew Lowen ·
After a long week of fast life and pressure at work, you just want to unwind. Andrew Lowen has some ideas for how you can do it.
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