"Thousands of Cards...Millions of Dollars"



Finextra is reporting this morning that fraudsters in Canada have compromised thousands of cards after installing debit machines that recorded PIN numbers in stores.  According to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, there has been a massive debit-card fraud in B.C.'s Lower Mainland involving thousands of cards and possibly millions of dollars.  The fraud was committed through compromised debit machines at stores in the communities of Ladner, Delta, Langley, Surrey and possibly Vancouver.  



It appears debit-card pads were replaced with pads equipped with devices that transmitted PIN numbers and transaction information to a criminal organization.



CBC has learned the fraud involved some Safeway food stores, a credit union in Langley and a number of independent retailers. Most of the pads that were compromised were owned by TD Canada Trust. Anyone affected will be reimbursed, the bank said.



Kelly Hechler, the bank's senior corporate communications manager, told CBC News the bank is hoping new chip technology in debit cards will help eliminate this kind of crime. "It is really a good thing that chip is rolling out and that we're as far along as we are in getting chip cards out to people," Hechler said.

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