[ale] OT: Security code on Credit/Debit cards

[Scott Castaline]

Got a question for you security and forensic types. My debit card was 
once again cloned. As a routine I usually check my bank(s) online at 
night and again in the morning. Last night all was good, this morning I 
found that I had bought several Crackberrys and a lot of sportswear as 
well as a surfboard. After spending about 6 hours trying to make sense 
of it all, all but one company had held the orders as possible fraud. 
These orders were done online and a few were well known named big box or 
large shopping centre companies. The big named companies confirmed that 
all credit info matched including the security code on the back of the 
card. They also traced the orders back to an IP coming through NYC via 
Roadrunner's Broadband Service. Ok my questions:

1. The number on the back of the card usually a 3 digit number, is that 
on the magnetic strip?
2. Even with IP and MAC masquerading, is it possible to actually trace 
it down to the perp?
3. Is there also a way to find where the card info was scanned?

Since this is my second time as a victim in less than a year, I would 
really like to pursue it as far as I can go. Local PD just writes it 
off, but if I could give them something solid, maybe they might act. I 
have my suspicions, but posting them would probably make me look racist, 
which I wasn't, but.... Also in all cases the same name was used address 
and phone # for delivery. When I google the name (Joanne Salter) I found 
one person who lives in Great Britain and is a movie production hair 
stylist, and another on in West Fargo, ND. The address used is in Ulem, 
MN and the phone number traced as an unlisted number somewhere in IN.