BEST Inc.

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	I was in a BEST store yesterday, and attempted to pay by check.  They 
asked for ID to verify the check and when I handed them my military ID, they  
asked for my driver's license instead.  I gave them my driver's license and 
they used it and the magnetic strip on the back of it to verify my check.  I 
noticed on their computer screen that it had all of my info, as in birthdate, 
address, driver's license number, the routing number for the bank I am with, 
and my checking account number.  They also have notices up that say they 
index everything by your phone number.  I asked them what they were using all 
of this information for, and they said for their marketing purposes.  I was 
so ticked off that I took back the check, went to an ATM, pulled out cash, 
and went back and purchased the item with cash.  I had to buy the item there, 
because nowhere else in the local area did they have the item.  Just 
something to keep in mind.

Sgt Darren Harlow - Computer Security
MCTSSA, Camp Pendleton, USMC
Internet: harlow%isb%mctssa@nwsfallbrook3.nwac.sea06.navy.mil
Voice: Comm: (619) 725-2970  DSN (Autovon): 365-2970
Fax:   Comm: (619) 725-9512  DSN (Autovon): 365-9512
"The views expressed are my own, and always will be..."


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Simple solution to this problem, especially if you have strong magnets 
around.... De-magnitize the card.  

If you are a ham operator, you can use the magnetic mount on the basis of 
your mobile antenna whip.  If you're not, get a big magnet...


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Evidence, Inc.       |   The Internet Cops are watching, 
Evidence@Nowhere.Nil |       aren't they?                
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On Mon, 18 Apr 1994 SGT=DARREN=S.=HARLOW%ISB%MCTSSA@nwsfallbrook3.nwac.sea06.navy.mil wrote:

> -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
> 
> 	I was in a BEST store yesterday, and attempted to pay by check.  They 
> asked for ID to verify the check and when I handed them my military ID, they  
> asked for my driver's license instead.  I gave them my driver's license and 
> they used it and the magnetic strip on the back of it to verify my check.  I 
> noticed on their computer screen that it had all of my info, as in birthdate, 
> address, driver's license number, the routing number for the bank I am with, 
> and my checking account number.  They also have notices up that say they 
> index everything by your phone number.  I asked them what they were using all 
> of this information for, and they said for their marketing purposes.  I was

> 
> 	I was in a BEST store yesterday, and attempted to pay by check.  They 
> asked for ID to verify the check and when I handed them my military ID, they  
> asked for my driver's license instead.  I gave them my driver's license and 
> they used it and the magnetic strip on the back of it to verify my check.  I 

[stuff deleted]

From what I know, there is no law that says you have to keep that 
magnetic strip up to date.  Just have a little meeting between it and Mr. 
Refridgerator magnet and you could end up with some surprising results.
                   _  .  _ ___ _  .  _
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On Mon, 18 Apr 1994, Jeremy Cooper wrote:

> > 
> > 	I was in a BEST store yesterday, and attempted to pay by check.  They 
> > asked for ID to verify the check and when I handed them my military ID, they  
> > asked for my driver's license instead.  I gave them my driver's license and 
> > they used it and the magnetic strip on the back of it to verify my check.  I 
> 
> [stuff deleted]
> 
> >From what I know, there is no law that says you have to keep that 
> magnetic strip up to date.  Just have a little meeting between it and Mr. 
> Refridgerator magnet and you could end up with some surprising results.

	Is this true? I am a NY state resident. I am under the impression that
altering either the bar code or the mag strip on the back of my license
would be as illegal as say changing the picture (Not that this is possible
in with the new NY licenses).  I do not know the legality behind this but
I am aware that altering a license in ANYWAY is illegal.  Although what
you are suggesting is VERY difficult to prove, it is still I would think
illegal.  Unless anyone has any legal information to the contrary....

	I would also guess that these states that have the mag strips on
their license also have fines for non-oprative strips.  If they do not, I
am sure the law will be created so enough!
		-Tom

On Tue, 19 Apr 1994, Thomas Riggley wrote something that caused Jeremy 
Cooper to write:

> > >From what I know, there is no law that says you have to keep that 
> > magnetic strip up to date.  Just have a little meeting between it and Mr. 
> > Refridgerator magnet and you could end up with some surprising results.
> 
> 	Is this true? I am a NY state resident. I am under the impression that
> altering either the bar code or the mag strip on the back of my license
> would be as illegal as say changing the picture (Not that this is possible
> in with the new NY licenses).  I do not know the legality behind this but
> I am aware that altering a license in ANYWAY is illegal.  Although what
> you are suggesting is VERY difficult to prove, it is still I would think
> illegal.  Unless anyone has any legal information to the contrary....
> 
> 	I would also guess that these states that have the mag strips on
> their license also have fines for non-oprative strips.  If they do not, I
> am sure the law will be created so enough!
> 		-Tom

The mag strips are only for ease of use.  They contain the same info that 
is on the front of our liscence.  Earlier on there was a discussion about 
how you can really piss cops off if your card doesn't read, because they 
have to write it all down by hand.  

Also, what we they do if you accidentaly erased that strip, arrest you?  
Many people are ignorant of the fact that magnetism erases the info on 
that stripe.  Is it your fault if the stripe losses even one bit of 
information that might cause it to read incorrectly?
                   _  .  _ ___ _  .  _
===-|)/\\/|V|/\/\ (_)/_\|_|\_/(_)/_\|_| Stop by for an excursion into the-===
===-|)||| | |\/\/  mud.crl.com 8888 (_) Virtual Bay Area!                -===

C'punks,

On Tue, 19 Apr 1994, Jeremy Cooper wrote:

> . . .
> The mag strips are only for ease of use.  They contain the same info that 
> is on the front of our liscence.  Earlier on there was a discussion about 
> how you can really piss cops off if your card doesn't read, because they 
> have to write it all down by hand.  
> 
> Also, what we they do if you accidentaly erased that strip, arrest you?  
> Many people are ignorant of the fact that magnetism erases the info on 
> that stripe.  Is it your fault if the stripe losses even one bit of 
> information that might cause it to read incorrectly?

Say, does anyone have a magnetic strip reader/writer?  It might have some 
intersting uses, don't you think?             ^^^^^^


 S a n d y

> Say, does anyone have a magnetic strip reader/writer?  It might have some 
> intersting uses, don't you think?             ^^^^^^

A mag-strip may be copied from one card to another with a steady hand and
a dubbing tape deck.  I'd hazard instead one could read the data into
a computer via a sound card and edit it to taste.  Then drop it back on that
or another card by the same method.

This works for things like library photo-copy cards.  I don't know if others,
like bank cards, require a stronger field to write.  Also, there are probably
checksums or hashes on bank/ID cards.

On Tue, 19 Apr 1994, SINCLAIR DOUGLAS N wrote:

> A mag-strip may be copied from one card to another with a steady hand and
> a dubbing tape deck.  I'd hazard instead one could read the data into
> a computer via a sound card and edit it to taste.  Then drop it back on that
> or another card by the same method.

Wasn't there a movie several years ago that had as the plot a couple o 
college age folks making Visa/MC cards by the same method?

> A mag-strip may be copied from one card to another with a steady hand and
> a dubbing tape deck.  I'd hazard instead one could read the data into
> a computer via a sound card and edit it to taste.  Then drop it back on that
> or another card by the same method.

An even better device to use is an old 1/4" reel-to-reel tape deck.  Most 
stripes are exactly 1/4" long, and cassette decks are only 1/8".  You can 
splice a piece of 1/4" tape onto your card perfectly.  (After removing 
the pervious one).
                   _  .  _ ___ _  .  _
===-|)/\\/|V|/\/\ (_)/_\|_|\_/(_)/_\|_| Stop by for an excursion into the-===
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On Mon, 18 Apr 1994 SGT=DARREN=S.=HARLOW%ISB%MCTSSA@nwsfallbrook3.nwac.sea06.navy.mil wrote:

> 	I was in a BEST store yesterday, and attempted to pay by check.  They 
> asked for ID to verify the check and when I handed them my military ID, they  
> asked for my driver's license instead.  I gave them my driver's license and 
> they used it and the magnetic strip on the back of it to verify my check.  I 
> noticed on their computer screen that it had all of my info, as in birthdate, 
> address, driver's license number, the routing number for the bank I am with, 
> and my checking account number.  They also have notices up that say they 
> index everything by your phone number.  I asked them what they were using all 
> of this information for, and they said for their marketing purposes.  I was 
> so ticked off that I took back the check, went to an ATM, pulled out cash, 
> and went back and purchased the item with cash.  I had to buy the item there, 
> because nowhere else in the local area did they have the item.  Just 
> something to keep in mind.

	I used to work at Best, and as far as I could tell it is so that 
they may send the fliers to your house.  _They_ are so dogged because the 
higher ups require each store to get so many new 'data sets', so we used 
to enter in dummy values, addresses of friends/relatives or ourselves 
multiple times.
	Somebody at the Corp level knew I'm sure, but it kept the 
managers off the sales/register people's backs.


Regards,            |                       *finger for UMBC:ACM 
info* Joseph M. Reagle Jr.| "I do not know such stuff!" 
reagle@gl.umbc.edu  | 		- Chew, Blade Runner.