Scammers hitting dive shops for fraudulent Shearwater/Garmin computer purchases

[tridacna]

Are these people using just numbers obtained from the dark web of physical cards?

Scammers sell lists of valid credit cards on the dark web. You can purchase lsits based on whatever criteria, geography etc that you want. I havE not seen physical carDs for sale. This is America - I'm sure they exist!

 

[lexvil]

Scammers sell lists of valid credit cards on the dark web. You can purchase lsits based on whatever criteria, geography etc that you want. I havE not seen physical carDs for sale. This is America - I'm sure they exist!

I’m sure physical cards exist too but they have a very short shelf life before being shut off, I would find it extremely odd that a shop would sell anything to some at the counter with just a # let alone a big ticket item.

 

[Jcp2]

1. Steal identity off dark web.
2. Create realistic ID cards and working credit cards.
3. Target an extremely niche product for a niche customer base.
4. …
5. Profit outrageously.

 

[Manatee Diver]

Scammers sell lists of valid credit cards on the dark web. You can purchase lsits based on whatever criteria, geography etc that you want. I havE not seen physical carDs for sale. This is America - I'm sure they exist!

If they are really organized they can just buy a credit card "printer." That is why in Europe magnetic swiping is going away (if it hasn't already been done) completely. They have a lot more organized crime.

 

[tridacna]

If they are really organized they can just buy a credit card "printer." That is why in Europe magnetic swiping is going away (if it hasn't already been done) completely. They have a lot more organized crime.

Swiping left on magnetic stripes

With the rise of the chip card, this once-pioneering payment technology is being retired.

www.mastercard.com

 

[Shearwater]

Unfortunately identity theft and credit card scams are a common scourge that we have to live with on an ongoing basis. Criminals get caught and new ones rise. We all have to be vigilant and take as many precautions as possible.

Our warranties are tied to serial numbers, not to individuals. This is how we have always operated. We do make note in our system when we get news of a stolen serial numbers in case these ever comes back to us for service. We remain vigilant for these serial number and do the best we can to return them to their rightful owners. However, it is rare for us to be able to match a stolen serial to a computer that gets back into our hands.

That said, we have encountered situations in the past were the computer was eventually returned to its rightful owner. When these rare occasions happen we celebrate and in one case we published the good news to the rest of the world: Ronnie returns... - Shearwater Research

 

[scubadada]

So, it does seem like stores with stolen Shearwater computers should report the serial numbers to Shearwater, in case the computer is later returned for service.

I'm still not sure why there could not be a repository for stolen computer/transmitter serial numbers to check against when buying from a private party. Failure to supply the serial number before a transaction might be suspicious. Why would legal owner not supply this?

 

[tridacna]

So, it does seem like stores with stolen Shearwater computers should report the serial numbers to Shearwater, in case the computer is later returned for service.

I'm still not sure why there could not be a repository for stolen computer/transmitter serial numbers to check against when buying from a private party. Failure to supply the serial number before a transaction might be suspicious. Why would legal owner not supply this?

Would be even better if Shearwater could “brick” a stolen computer when someone tries to update the software.

 

[scubadada]

Would be even better if Shearwater could “brick” a stolen computer when someone tries to update the software.

There might be a number of "innocent" purchasers of stolen computers to deal with. I like your idea.

I wonder how Garmin has reacted, haven't heard anything about that.

 

[Marie13]

No idea about Garmin. I only use Shearwater so Garmin is barely on my radar.