Had a guy at a coffee shop in Portland show me how easy it is to clone a debit card

I was sitting at this little shop in Portland last month working on my laptop when this random guy sat down next to me. He saw me paying with my card and just casually said "you know I could copy that in about 30 seconds with a $50 reader from Amazon right?" I thought he was joking until he pulled out this tiny device from his bag and showed me how he does it. He literally swiped his own card through it and within seconds had the full number and pin on his phone screen. The scary part was how calm he was about it, like it was no big deal. He told me tap to pay is way safer because the chip data changes every time. Anyone else run into people like this who just casually drop scary tech knowledge on you?

2 comments

2 Comments

kellygarcia18d ago

Did you actually try watching your card after that conversation? I had a similar experience a few years back with a guy at a tech meetup who casually showed everyone how to clone RFID badges. It really woke me up to how sloppy our security can be. What worked for me was switching to a separate card just for online and tap payments, one that I keep a low balance on most of the time. That way even if someone did get the info they wouldnt get much. I also started using one of those RFID blocking sleeves for my wallet when I travel. It is not perfect but it adds a layer of trouble for anyone trying to skim my stuff.

singh.blair18d ago

Buddy of mine had his card cloned at a gas pump. Didn't notice until his bank called about a $900 purchase in another state. Now he only uses cash at standalone terminals and never taps his main card anywhere sketchy.