this post was submitted on 03 Dec 2024
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Scam scam scam (lemmy.sdf.org)
submitted 2 weeks ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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Three days before Thanksgiving, someone was trying to steal peoples food stamps.

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[–] ArbitraryValue 67 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

This became a big problem in New York a few years ago. Thieves would put skimmers on top of the card readers at supermarket checkouts and then drain the food stamp accounts of people who went through those checkouts. The state initially refused to compensate victims despite the fact that this wasn't even a scam that someone could chosen to avoid. The only safety measure was to try and disassemble the card reader to see if there was a skimmer that would come off.

Eventually politicians changed the policy and compensated people after there were so many cases of theft that major newspapers were writing about it. I don't know if theft is still frequent but less talked-about because victims get compensated, or if the authorities managed to put an end to it.

I'm not surprised that criminals would do such a thing, given that they do so much worse.

[–] [email protected] 39 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

What shitty system even allows this to happen? It's not like the microchip in credit cards that allows for secure transactions is particularly expensive.

Small addendum because I looked it up:

Apparently checks aren't the only ancient aspect of the US banking system. Chip cards have apparently only come around in the past few years, prior they used the insecure magnetic strip cards that can literally just be copied.

[–] [email protected] 24 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

Also, the chips aren't that much better than the stripe. It's harder to clone the chip and much harder to do en masse, but far from impossible. On top of that, the measure that is supposed to prevent cloning from being viable is almost never actually required, that being the PIN.

It's called "Chip and PIN" for a reason. It's a 2FA system where one of the factors just isn't required and the other can be readily compromised. It's baffling how we have a functioning system for digital payments when seemingly no one is willing to properly implement and then use a secure standard.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I travelled to the US from Canada recently and was super confused when I didn't need to enter my PIN. Was also really confused about giving away my credit card to bartenders

[–] [email protected] 7 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

At least credit cards are... on credit. You can usually just stop a transaction if someone makes unauthorised use of your credit card. If this also happens with debit cards, your in more trouble. Than the money is just gone.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 weeks ago

Fortunately in the US debit does generally require the PIN and always has even before chips.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Tap to pay is much safer though.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 weeks ago

Not if you're using your card. The card can still be cloned with a few seconds of physical access. Also, with a card, there's no PIN verification with tap to pay and no signature requirements. Because of that most countries have transaction size limits for tap to pay. Usually in the $50-$100 USD range. The US, notably has no such limits. So, if someone steals your card they can use it up to your balance/credit limit, or up to the transaction limit your bank sets, typically about $10,000 USD.

Tap to pay using a phone, apple watch, or similar device is more secure because they have actual 2FA and generate unique payment information for each transaction on top of the already existing encryption of the transaction data. Additionally, cloning the underlying payment info would require being able to access the secure enclave on the phone.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

On some revolut (finance app, popular in ireland) cards the magenetic strip is disabled by default.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

Mastercard started removing the magnetic strip from new cards this year in some European countries, and want to completely remove it worldwide by 2029.

In the US, I've actually got one card that doesn't have a magnetic strip: a debit card for Target stores (gives 5% discount for every purchase which is why I have it).

[–] [email protected] 35 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (3 children)

To grow all the veggies for these people on food stamps.... Right?

Right?

[–] [email protected] 16 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

You'd be surprised how much food an urban homestead can produce. And no, one person isn't going to feed everybody on food stamps but like many things, if enough people start doing it then it becomes part of the culture. Imagine if houses had a little homestead instead of a grass lawn, especially in the front. Whole changes in culture could occur. For example, one of the best things about Halloween in my opinion is that the whole neighbourhood comes alive with people out and about. If people spent more time in their front yards doing gardening (and not noisy polluting lawn mowing) there's be more interactions between people and places would feel more alive and safer. </rant>

[–] [email protected] 14 points 2 weeks ago

I don't know how much domestic agriculture changed in the last 30 years, but 30 years ago growing enough veggies for couple of winter months was a full-time everyday job for 2 people in our family, with another 4 having to help regularly. I don't think there is enough free time for that right now

[–] SuzyQ 14 points 2 weeks ago

To grow the veggies bought with the food stamps. 😉

Seriously though, you can buy seeds and bulbs for growing food on food stamps. I can't remember if live plants are covered - it's been a few years since I've needed them.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

ahhhh, thanks. I didn't get it!

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

Just in case you didnt get it or my joke it's for dead bodies of the scammers they hunted down and murdered,there's feet sticking out of the right most planter

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 weeks ago

oh! ah and now I see the hands. I'm a little slow on the uptake sometimes. thanks!

[–] [email protected] 23 points 2 weeks ago (4 children)

What is a food card, and food stamps? Is this some kind of US-only dystopia?

[–] [email protected] 30 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

Yes, in a way. My understanding is that in the US instead of giving less fortunate people the money to buy what they need they get given tokens which can only be used for specific types of items. Obviously it'd be a lot cheaper to skip that extra admin cost and give the money directly instead of maintaining an entirely separate type of currency, but you can't trust those filthy poors to know what they need. And hygiene products are one thing they don't need, apparently.

[–] [email protected] 18 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

The name is old, it used to be actual stamps in a booklet. It's a restricted use debit card now. So you can buy eggs with it but not a music CD. Still pretty degrading.

[–] DanVctr 4 points 2 weeks ago

What's a CD? /s

[–] [email protected] 14 points 2 weeks ago

The actual program name is snap but everyone still just calls it food stamps and I'm pretty sure now food stamps are just handed out as cash on prepaid debit cards. I think there some categories that you can't use snap benefits to buy, like anything alcohol or cigarettes, but other than that I think it's pretty much a free for all.

There are other programs like WIC that I think do give out very specific benefits but those are laser focused on certain groups.

I'm far from an expert on this stuff I've never used snap or any of the other food assistance programs in the states.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 2 weeks ago

It's a thing (or used to be a thing) in Australia too: a voucher or prepaid debit card that can only be used to buy food, given to low-income residents.

Australia actually has a proper safety net for low-income residents though, with public health care and monthly payments from the government if you're unemployed and looking for a job, or you're a child / young adult and your parents are low income, or a few other cases.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

It's a social safety net thing which I think Lemmy is usually in favor of

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 weeks ago

I am not debating on the positive outcome of it… I simply never heard of it.