This makes it less suspicious. Traditionally a lot of small-time (i.e. Vegas) skimmers write mag-stripes onto other cards ranging from hotel key-cards to expired credit cards, but in places where skimming is common gas attendants and cashiers are trained to watch out for warning signs including lots of expired cards, trying lots of cards, name on computer doesn't match name on card, and especially hotel keycards at gas stations.
This device defeats all these human security measures by letting me use a startup bling device to try up to 8 cards at once without looking suspicious at all. "Declined? shit, my newfangled e-bling card must have messed up - try it again!" (while silently changing cards using the button). "No name on the card? Card isn't signed? You want my ID? But this is the hottest new toy! Promise it's fine!"
This is interesting. You can just buy blank magstripe PVC cards in bulk for very cheap on Amazon. You can buy an ID printer for a couple grand. Why the need to repurpose old cards?
I'm not actually experienced with street-level card skimming beyond anecdotally, so I'm not sure. But my initial speculation is this:
- Centralized location / evidence. A stash of blank cards and an ID printer have to go somewhere, and look suspicious to start with. The gear to skim cards and write them onto existing magstripe cards can be stored in a small space or on one's person and thrown away quickly; there's no centralized location. I believe hotel keycards are used because of their availiability. There was a sensationalized national news piece a few years ago about pimps giving women hotel keycards with credit cards written on them to buy gas with.
- Start-up cost. A couple thousand $$ in an ID printer is more than $0; that's what would divide street-level carders from professionals who probably wouldn't be passing overwritten cards at retail anyway.
This device defeats all these human security measures by letting me use a startup bling device to try up to 8 cards at once without looking suspicious at all. "Declined? shit, my newfangled e-bling card must have messed up - try it again!" (while silently changing cards using the button). "No name on the card? Card isn't signed? You want my ID? But this is the hottest new toy! Promise it's fine!"