Credit card crime occurs in three parts: reconnaissance, theft, and dump.  When a carder (credit card # thief) obtains the numbers and names to a card they can obtain the victims’ addresses and telephone numbers from information clearinghouses such as Consumer Info, Choice Point, or Lexus-Nexus.  From there, the carder most often trades the numbers, names, and pertinent info anonymously through Internet Relay Chat (IRC) or website forums to other cyber criminals. Those cyber criminals may use magnetic card writers to create fake swipe cards.  The fake swipe cards are then tested at unmanned grocery store checkout lines or with online merchants leaving a small “footprint.”  Once the card proves exploitable – the larger bulk theft may take years. Click the below link for a primer of how hackers profit from their exploits http://www.infosecurity.pro/csa/026CARDING1.pdf]]>