Counterfeit Card

A counterfeit card is a bogus replica of a legitimate credit or debit card, usually created from stolen card information. These fake cards are designed to mimic the appearance and functionality of actual payment cards. The more genuine they appear, the easier it is for the fraudster to make unauthorized transactions or access funds without permission.

Modern technology has made it more difficult – but not impossible – to create believable counterfeits. Most cards now have embedded EMV chips, which are miniature microprocessors containing the cardholder’s personal data. While it is possible to create fake chips, the cost and time involved are usually more than the potential gain.

That said, crooks can clone data from the chip and encode it in the card's magnetic stripe. The fraudster can then simply swipe the card instead of dipping it to make the purchase. That still requires effort, however, and eCommerce has made committing online fraud far easier than creating counterfeit cards.