February 13, 2004
Camera phone a thief's new tool
Here we go, yet another article on camera phones posing a threat while you whip out your credit card, this time from the Chicago Suburban Daily Herald.
"Criminals just got a cleaner alternative to Dumpster diving for credit card numbers - courtesy of those pesky camera cell phones.
Law enforcement and consumer advocate groups have begun warning that the little lenses threaten to take "shoulder surfing" to a whole new level.
Now, with a simple snap, criminals can capture credit card information and send it anywhere in the world."
North Aurora police officer Randy Voss actually ran an experiment. "He simulated a checkout line, with one person pulling out a credit card to pay, and another a camera phone to catch the number.
The old-model phone couldn't quite display the vital information, but Voss and others believe that's not far off."
Bottom line? File these stories away with the "bans in locker room" drawer.
Related articles:
- Third article about camera phones and identity theft
- Phones are criminal's paradise
The Permanent Link to this page is: http://www.textually.org/picturephoning/archives/2004/02/003005.htm