Creditcards

I don’t know about you, but I’ve been receiving an escalating number of spam/phishing calls on my mobile phone. The scams range in sophistication levels, and the plots range from threats of immediate disconnection of a utility service, through to arrest for not paying a tax bill, failure to attend jury service, to promises of massively reduced interest rates on current cards. All scenarios seem to pivot around the crooks trying to obtain details of existing credit cards so they can steal money.

It’s tempting to just hang-up on these folks, but that’s amateur hour. Hanging up does not cause them any grief, and all they will do is call the next person on their list and attempt the same scam. If, however, you proceed to waste their time, then you are consuming a resource precious to them. Every hour you keep a scammer engaged on the phone is an hour they can’t prey on a more vulnerable member of society (just remember, it could be your grandma they try to steal from next). With some simple tools, you can lead the crooks down the garden path and waste a bunch of their time. If sufficient people did it, maybe phone scamming would become less profitable, and occur less often. It’s fun to see how long you can string them along before they start to curse and swear at you.

Above is a test credit card generator and it can be used to create fictitious cards with well-formed numbers. A credit card number is not just a random string of sixteen digits, and uses an algorithm to mathematically generate a check digit. Credit cards use something called the Luhn Algorithm, and you can read more about that here Creditcard Numbers.

The app is simple to use, just hit the shuffle button. Hitting shuffle will generate a totally random card. Random names are generated (you should never use your own name), and I purposely selected androgenous and gender neutral names. I also generate fake ‘last four digits’ of Social Security (the scammers always seem to always to ask for this). Don’t worry, the SSN is just four, totally random digits!

The expiration date is randomly generated to be some time in the future, and the I generate a random CVV code (three digits, or four digits as appropriate). Again the CVV is totally randomly generated! (despite what anyone may tell you, there is no correlation between a credit card number and a CVV number). I generate these additional fake numbers because, if you play the script well, the first person often transfers you to a ‘manager’ (when they have problems stealing from your card), and it’s helpful to be able to repeat back the same information you gave the first thief (without having to write it down). At this point they usually say there is a ‘problem with you card’ (duh!), and ‘do you have any other cards you can try?’ … well, as it happens, you do! Use the selection buttons at the top of the card to generate a different brand of card, like an Amex, or Mastercard. Each time you press the appropriate button a new card is generated (though your name and SSN, helpfully, stay the same; unless you press Shuffle again). You can even generate an alternative card of the same type by clicking the same button again.

There are other legitimate uses for this tool. If you are developing/testing an eCommerce product you might want to generate test users to exercise the code before you go live.

This app is provided for entertainment and test purposes only. Do not use it for any unlawful activity. That’s just wrong, and well, illegal.

The app is just a simple client-side script. It does not store or trasmit the random numbers it generates.

It’s obvious, but never give out your real name, or real credit card numbers, to random callers. And if the crooks ask for iTunes or Home Depot gifts cards instead, well, judge for yourself how plausible you think it is that the IRS will take payments in this format!

If you found the app useful, you might consider buying me a coffee.