DEBUNKED - Funny way to get CC#'s.
 

http://www.freewarepocketpc.net/ppc-...darkruler.html
So basically, comments here are saying an internet connection is being made after the photo is taken and the author stated to use a credit card. I thought it could have been a hilarious way to get credit card numbers but the author has posted he promises this isn't the case. (Still a funny premise)

For anyone who thought of not downloading out of fear of stolen CC# info, you can feel comfortable in knowing the author will show you the code and assure you there is nothing being taken.

Instead of saying "using a credit card" perhaps the words could have been chosen differently to avoid panic amongst downloaders. These days, anything is possible.

Re: Funny way to get CC#'s.
 

looks interesting.

Re: Funny way to get CC#'s.
 

haha good point! I hope no one gets burnt by this!

Re: Funny way to get CC#'s.
 

I took a picture with all my credit cards. You know just in case any of them were a different size.

Re: Funny way to get CC#'s.
 

oh wow....
Good scheme. Different than the usual phishing page. But I hope someone doesnt get caught up in this.

Re: Funny way to get CC#'s.
 

Wow that's wild!!!

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He probably will not have the CVC number or billing addresses, so hopefully not too many will get burned by it. It is creative though :).

Re: Funny way to get CC#'s.
 

Why wouldn't you just lay your card face down?! good idea to catch those too trustworthy people out there.

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To make sure that the picture of your credit card is sized correctly for comparison, it is probably best to take a photo of the front, and then another of the back! LOL

Re: Funny way to get CC#'s.
 

I didn't the French were so devious.

Re: Funny way to get CC#'s.
 

should point out this is a program being developed at XDA

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=436725

I don't believe it is trying to take your card info, as there have been no reports of it over at XDA

Re: Funny way to get CC#'s.
 

Well here's the thing. First, he says "using a credit card and a camera." With as many untrusting people as there are out there, I woulda said wallet sized card. Then people say it tries to connect to the internet after snapping a photo. These reports could be false of course.

The whole idea of using this app to steal CC#'s just seems so funny to me though which is why I posted. He definitely needs to reword his app description lol.

Re: Funny way to get CC#'s.
 

thas just crazy!!! lol i actually thought it was pretty clever using the credit card to set the scale... but the rest is just devious!

Re: Funny way to get CC#'s.
 

well, setting a scale via credit card would be easy to set, they are standard sizes. But it should say flip it over or something.

As for using a business card, they are not set standards, as they might be cut differnt and what not. I can see the reasoning, but I still ain't gonna do it.

Re: Funny way to get CC#'s.
 

Holy crapola, that's pretty smart. I'm not gonna lie! But really, there's not much he can do without your CVV2 [unless he has a generator for that]

Re: Funny way to get CC#'s.
 

How about using the credit card, but masking out the numbers?

Re: Funny way to get CC#'s.
 

or those magnets you get in junk mail.. hmm, wonder if they'd make a good screen protector... lol.

Re: Funny way to get CC#'s.
 

LOL That's funny!

Re: Funny way to get CC#'s.
 

Wow, I was actually considering downloading this app. It seemed like an interesting idea. I've gotta say I'm glad I read this post, Thank You SO much. As disgusting as it is, I really must say that's a VERY creative way to get credit card numbers...

Re: Funny way to get CC#'s.
 

Hello,
I'm the creator of this app...You can use anything that has a credit card size. People saying it's sending data over the net are just stupid!! source code is open on codeplex ( http://darkruler.codeplex.com ) and the only internet connection is for auto update : go to the option menu and disable if you don't want it!
funny to see comments from people who don't know what they are talking about!!!! to them : setup on a device emulator, take a picture and monitor network traffic (NetMonitor from microsoft should be a good start) : if you find any "personal" data there tell me!!!!!
See Ya',
DarkAngel

@moderators : could you please edit the post from chronster : this is like an insult to me, I know he is the only responsible for what he is saying but I take it as a personal offense.

Re: Funny way to get CC#'s.
 

A personal offense? I don't even know you why would you take it personally.

You cleared it up, I edited the first post, it was all just a funny observation at how you were specific to say credit card. People said it makes an internet connection after the photo and suddenly I realized this was could be a hilarious way to get CC#'s.

Don't take offense.

Re: Funny way to get CC#'s.
 

I've been reading the whole thread here and :
-> don't worry if you used the app, no personal data are sent, the only things being sent to the internet is a HTTP request to get latest release informations. Option menu, uncheck the autoupdate option and you won't have any internet use.
-> to people saying I'm "devious" or I made this to "stole" things : be carefull of what you say without any proof. There are laws even on the web, and you said when registering here that you were ready to assume your words...
-> to everyone : you don't NEED a credit card...you can use anything that has the same size!!!!! look at the screenshot sent... (I didn't get any mail that confirmed me that my application was online so didn't check they correctly post information)

If anyone wants to see what's in DarkRuler just decompile it and you'll find that codeplex has the SAME source code....nothing to hide ^^

Re: Funny way to get CC#'s.
 

After hours of development, many mail/posts/comments to make this the best for users, please before posting this kind of message be carefull and if you have doubts : contact the author or post a message saying that you feel scarry, don't post directly this kind of "warning" to users!! the day you will really find a bad application nobody will believe you!!!

And sorry but yes I take this PERSONAL : you wrote that I'm trying to steal informations from users without any proof of this, without trying to verify, without contacting the author...how would you react ?

Re: Funny way to get CC#'s.
 

You're just a screenname on the internet to me. You should NOT take this personal. If I knew you and talked with you every step of the way through the development of this app, and came out and blatantly said YES THIS STEALS CC#'s, then you could take it personally. I'm sorry if I offended you, but it wasn't my goal to offend the author, just bring to light the possibility of a scam.

I never said it actually stole credit card numbers, I only showed the comments page for the download link, and how people were reporting that a connection is being made after the picture is taken.

Again, as I've said throughout this entire thread, you should probably choose your words better. I know it seems silly, but to say "USING A CREDIT CARD" instead of something as simple as even "USING SOMETHING THE SIZE OF A CREDIT CARD" can, for some, be the difference between downloading your app, and finding it very suspicious.

Out of curiosity, what language are you using to program this app?

Re: Funny way to get CC#'s.
 

You're registered on this forum after accepting rules, saying you accept to be responsible for what you're saying as a person, not as a "screenname"... but anyway thanks to you my app is locked on the website where it was published and I get many angry messages saying that "someone at ppcgeeks said you were steeling cc#, you will have problems soon". Take care of what you say next time. If some people get me in trouble because of this "warning post" you will have more problems than me, this is why I was so angry at you. This is not "menace" (don't know the english word), this is just to warn you that before posting this kind of "potential hacker warning" you should take care of who can believe you and launch pursuits against me for "hacking there cc#" or things like that... (I won't past you here mails I get, there should offend the moderators/admins...)

C# (microsoft .Net framework 3.5) Have a look at the codeplex...

And even if I don't really like the way you blame (ok you didn't affirm, you just warn, but for "basic users" this is the same you know...) do not hesitate if any remarks/suggestion, I'll be happy to make this app better ](*,)

Re: DEBUNKED - Funny way to get CC#'s.
 

@chronster : ""Search before posting"" is a rule on all serious forums I know :
http://forum.ppcgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=60481
http://forum.ppcgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=60710

@moderators : clean all this in a single post ?

While I'm here : thanks for this forum, many things in there, was just a reader until today...

Re: DEBUNKED - Funny way to get CC#'s.
 

hey darkangel, welcome to the site!
sorry about the trouble with your host.
there are new scams everyday in this country (USA) and us geeks like to sound a warning when it involves technology, as none of us want people afraid of if.

anyway, I do have a suggestion.. would it be possible to use "any" object of "known" dimensions as a reference. I say this because anything under a meter I can size by eye/hand/arm. this app would be more useful to me on a larger scale (many meters) where a piece of paper or clipboard would be easier.

Re: Funny way to get CC#'s.
 

Again, I never said it was doing it, I only posted a link to what others were saying about it, and posted a warning of a POSSIBLE scam. There's a difference. If I came to the forum and posted that you stole my CC# and you've been steeling others, perhaps you'd be investigated. As soon as your code was looked at the investigation is over. Your app is locked not because of what I said, but because of the comments at that link. Point the blame at them. They are the ones who actually came out and said it's stealing CC#'s.

Seriously man, I'm done debating this. You tell people to take a picture of their credit card, people report back that a data connection is attempted after snapping a photo, I linked to it and warned people it might be a scam. End of story.

Searching before posting IS something I do, and when I found no warnings of a possible scam, I posted.

Finally, saying stuff like this does NOT get people like me into trouble. I was trying to lookout for potential victims of a fraud, not consider the feelings of a developer I don't know (who in my mind at the time had potentially found a way to steal credit card #'s.) Your point was made and I edited the first post, now stop acting as if I made all this stuff up on my own for no reason. I apologize that this thread might have added to the pandemonium surrounding your app, but really it wasn't the cause of it.

Re: DEBUNKED - Funny way to get CC#'s.
 

Well... this thread is probably going to be closed soon.

But I think there should be no hard feelings at this point. The developer has cleared this matter up. I don't think chronster was blatantly stating that this is definitely a way to get your CC #, and most of use just used caution.

We apologize for the inconvenience.

Re: Funny way to get CC#'s.
 

welcome to the site... sorry for the rocky start. i admit i didnt research the claim on my own, but i also trust Chronsters discernment overall, and can say with certainty that his misunderstanding was not an attack on you or your work personally.

So lets move forward and put this behind us... we've all got lessons to learn from this exchange...

Re: DEBUNKED - Funny way to get CC#'s.
 

use a library card!

Re: DEBUNKED - Funny way to get CC#'s.
 

tip for ya buddy for your software: how bout instead of any type of card. change it to use the measurements of a single sheet of paper? that way there's no complications on either end.? just a thought.

Re: DEBUNKED - Funny way to get CC#'s.
 

but who carries a piece of paper with them... anyay, he can have fun at the mountainside library

Re: DEBUNKED - Funny way to get CC#'s.
 

Let's move forward yes, won't debate on the subject anymore to avoid "forum useless spam".

About piece of paper I'm not thinking it's the best option but in v1 you will have ability to have different "known objects". I will put default objects and users will be able to create there own (like a sheet of paper lol).
Update to be posted here or do you prefer to create new thread or post in the 2 other threads talking about DarkRuler ?

See Ya'

Re: DEBUNKED - Funny way to get CC#'s.
 

Lets start a new thread and close this one down. This deserves a better discussion.

I like the idea of using different objects btw. First thing that came to mind was a baseball lol

Re: DEBUNKED - Funny way to get CC#'s.
 

How about the capability to set whatever you want as a know? I might not be carrying a baseball with me at all times. I usually have my safety glasses, so that could be my known object.

DarkAngelFR - Sorry to have offended you. I don't look for the developer, I looked at the app and the possibilty is there, but like you mentioned the user can disable the update connection.

Re: DEBUNKED - Funny way to get CC#'s.
 

How about a dollar bill as the method of setting the scale... all denominations are cut to the same standards.... and you're always bound to have one on ya...lol

Re: DEBUNKED - Funny way to get CC#'s.
 

have you seen my avatar?! I have a huggies coupon instead. lol