From:	arclight arclight@**************.com
Subject:	Cash, Credit and Crime
Date:	Thu, 1 Jul 1999 19:32:36 +0200

And finally, Ulrich Haupt expressed himself by typing:

> Such a system is already established in Germany. You can
> draw money from your bank account and put it on a plastic
> card. Actually it is my EC-Card but you can get anonymous
> ones with no connection to a bank account. I think there
> shall be some 'cash points' somwwhere where you can pay
> money into the machine and it put's the amount onto you
> card. I know you can do it at any bank offices. It works the
> same way as Rand described the certified stick except there
> is a limitation of DM 400 (230 U$). And if you are capable
> of cheating the encryption system on the card you can
> 'refill' your card. Of course the bank promises that such
> can't be.

I would expect the security measures to include some checks
with the providing banks database, or at least to store some
information on the card for later check. This would be a really
simple way to hinder forgery or cheating of the card.
If you spend more money this way than putting on the card
int the first place, uh oh...

> BTW I didn't see any place except telephone cells that
> except this cards. Maybe other german list members knows more?

Most gas stations and shopping centers accept it, as do
many shops who offer Electronic Cash services...

Electronic Cash in Germany means pay-by-Bank card, BTW.
"Geld Karte", Money card would be the english word, is the
thing Ulrich described above.

--
arclight

"Die Gegenwart neigt zu Egoismus zu Lasten der Zukunft"
- Johannes Rau