A cloned threat!

Prasaad Bhosekar

If you are still wondering about the cloning of animal and human beings, then it’s a wake up call for you. These are not the only entities that can be cloned, but another kind of cloning is also there and is as much a threat to you. Welcome to the world of credit card cloning.Credit card cloning is basically the process of making a fake credit card that is identical to yours with the same secret code. This means that somebody else uses your credit card and you foot the bill. The fake credit card racket is being run from Malaysia and Chennai, and if you are using your card in Malaysia then you need to take extra precaution. You will never know that your card has been cloned, and somebody else is having fun at your expense. Recently, the crime branch of Hyderabad Police busted this racket and arrested two persons in this connection. This racket has its origin in Malaysia and it entered India via Chennai. The Indian tourists visiting Malaysia are the easy targets of this racket. Additional Commissioner of Hyderabad Central Crime Station, Punna Rao informed that whenever a credit card is swiped, the internal secret code that are there in the black strip of the card get stored into a Skimmer machine. This code is used to make another credit card identical to yours. So, even if you have your own card well protected, some other people can shop at your expense and you have to foot the bill. When a number of such cases came to light, the police swung into action. During its investigation, Hyderabad Police arrested two persons namely Rajendran and Ganesan from Chennai. When they were interrogated, they not only confessed the crime but also disclosed that the kingpin of this racket is one Shivkumar alias Subrahmaniam, who is based in Malaysia and operates from there. Inspector Upender Reddy of Hyderabad Crime Station said, "Rajendran works in India as a distribution agent. Three other persons, namely, Suresh, Vasanth Raj and Raghavan are also part of this racket. They have been using fake credit cards. Rajendran was caught red-handed in Mumbai." So, the next time you swipe your credit card, be vigilant. Someone is out there to clone your card. Adaptation by: Sharique N Siddiquie