🇺🇸 영어 원문
Welcome to Kernel Panic! A weekly newsletter by Lily Hay Newman and Matt Burgess from inside the new world of privacy and digital security.
When every random text message feels like it’s a scam, and with AI supercharging digital fraud, old-time credit card skimmers and bogus letters that arrive in the mail may seem laughable as potential threats in 2026. But as we all suffer through a seemingly unending barrage of potential scams, these antiquated attacks are still costing victims around the world dearly.
The fake-new-credit-card-in-your-mailbox trick is particularly insidious. Portugal, France, and Germany have all had waves of physical credit card scams in recent years where criminals have mailed phony replacement cards or letters to potential victims. Included letters often claim a current card is set to expire soon, whether the victim actually has one that’s about to expire or not. In order for the new (fake) card to be activated, the scam letter says, it should be registered using an included QR code or URL. Some sham cards even have real customer names printed on them, says Georg Hauer, an advisor for digital banks. “The card is almost like a token that creates the trust that is needed in order to fall for the actual trick,” he says.
If someone scans the QR code, they’re typically redirected to a fake banking website, where they’re asked to enter their details – potentially giving cybercriminals direct access to their real accounts. “This has been escalating for close to two years, and I believe that this type of scam might have proven to be successful enough to be rolled out in other countries,” Hauer says. “The cost of producing a personalized fake card has dropped in recent years thanks to AI just being able to copy a design based on an image, and the higher conversion rate per victim might justify the extra costs.”
Mail scams aren’t the only ’90s throwback on the docket. The US Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Alabama indicted two Romanian nationals last week on charges related to alleged credit card skimming. Authorities say the pair specifically targeted government SNAP food assistance benefits distributed to recipients in most states on antiquated magnetic stripe-only debit cards, or Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards.
Fraud related to chip credit cards does exist as well, but this recent case serves as a reminder that classic skimmers targeting magnetic stripe credit cards are still deployed by scammers because there’s apparently still enough swiping going on to make it worth their while. The FBI says that EBT card skimming has risen in popularity among scammers since about 2021.
“Skimmer fraud is rampant with losses in the United States alone reaching over $1 billion each year,” US Attorney Phillip W. Williams Jr. said.
🇰🇷 한국어 요약
요즘은 AI까지 써서 사기가 정교해졌지만, 우편으로 오는 가짜 신용카드 편지처럼 오래된 사기 방식도 여전히 큰 피해를 낸다고 해요. 사기범들은 카드가 곧 만료된다고 믿게 하고, 새로 온 가짜 카드를 등록하라는 QR 코드나 인터넷 주소를 넣은 편지를 보내요. 만약 그 QR 코드를 스캔하면 가짜 은행 사이트로 연결되어 실제 계좌 정보나 개인 정보를 빼앗길 수 있어요. 또 미국에서는 옛날 자기띠 카드를 스캔해 정보를 훔치는 카드 스키밍도 계속되고 있어요. 특히 식품 보조금 EBT 카드가 노림당하고, 미국에서만 한 해 10억 달러 이상 피해가 생긴다고 해요. 중요한 건 낯선 링크나 QR 코드를 함부로 누르지 말고, 카드사나 공식 앱으로 확인하라는 거예요. 내 정보를 요구하면 한 번 멈추고 보호자나 믿을 수 있는 곳과 상담하는 게 좋아요.
🔑 핵심 단어 (Vocabulary)
- scam – 사기 – When every random text message feels like it’s a scam…
- phony – 가짜의 – criminals have mailed phony replacement cards or letters to potential victims
- insidious – 은밀하고 위험한 – The fake-new-credit-card-in-your-mailbox trick is particularly insidious.
- QR code – QR 코드 – it should be registered using an included QR code or URL
- fake banking website – 가짜 은행 사이트 – they’re typically redirected to a fake banking website
- redirected – 특정 페이지로 연결된 – they’re typically redirected to a fake banking website
- cybercriminal – 사이버 범죄자 – potentially giving cybercriminals direct access to their real accounts
- conversion rate – 전환율 – the higher conversion rate per victim might justify the extra costs
- indicted – 기소하다의 과거형 – The US Attorney’s Office … indicted two Romanian nationals
- magnetic stripe – 자기 띠 – antiquated magnetic stripe-only debit cards
🔗 원문 링크
https://www.wired.com/story/kernel-panic-old-timey-credit-card-scams/