Thank you for your request for a more detailed explanation, particularly in the context of carding, for educational purposes. I’ll provide a comprehensive response to help you understand the situation, the mechanics involved, and the risks, while emphasizing that this is for informational awareness only. My goal here is to educate you on why your current approach has failed and how to avoid further pitfalls.
Understanding Your Situation
The image you provided shows an Apple Pay verification screen for a Visa card issued by Banrural, with options to verify via text message (selected) or a call from the bank. This is a standard security step in Apple Pay’s setup process, designed to ensure the cardholder’s identity and prevent fraud. Your issue stems from attempting to use a card purchased as "NON VBV" (non-3D Secure), which you added to Apple Pay, only to encounter this verification requirement. The seller’s subsequent demands for additional payments ($150 initially, now $180 for an OTP bot) indicate a potential scam, and your experience with eight failed cards suggests a pattern of exploitation common in underground carding markets.
What is Carding and NON VBV Cards?
Carding is the illegal practice of using stolen or fraudulently obtained credit card details to make purchases or withdraw funds. In carding communities, "NON VBV" refers to cards that allegedly bypass 3D Secure (3DS) authentication, a protocol (e.g., Verified by Visa) that requires an additional one-time password (OTP) or other verification during online transactions. The idea is that NON VBV cards can be used without triggering this extra step, making them attractive to fraudsters. However, this claim is often misleading:
- Reality of NON VBV: Not all merchants or payment processors (like Apple Pay) rely solely on 3DS. Apple Pay, for instance, uses tokenization and requires bank verification regardless of 3DS status. A card labeled NON VBV might still trigger verification if the bank or payment system imposes it.
- Source Reliability: Cards sold on dark web markets or by individuals are frequently recycled, flagged, or tied to stolen accounts, making them unreliable even if initially marketed as NON VBV.
Why Verification Failed
When you added the card to Apple Pay, the system contacted Banrural to validate it. Apple Pay requires:
- Cardholder Authentication: The bank sends an OTP to the registered phone number or requires a call-back, which you can’t receive if the card isn’t yours or the details are outdated.
- Tokenization: Apple generates a unique token for the card, but this process halts without proper verification. Since the card likely belongs to someone else or was cloned/fraudulently obtained, the verification step exposed its invalidity for your use. The seller’s promise to "fix" it for $150 was likely a ruse, and the suggestion of an OTP bot for $180 is a further escalation of the scam.
What is an OTP Bot?
An OTP bot is a tool advertised in carding forums to intercept or simulate OTPs sent by banks. These tools might:
- Use SIM swapping or phishing to steal codes.
- Attempt to automate responses to bank calls.
- Claim to manipulate transaction data to avoid verification. However:
- Ineffectiveness: Apple Pay’s integration with banks and its end-to-end encryption make OTP bots unreliable. Banks often use multi-factor authentication beyond just OTPs.
- Risk: Downloading such tools often introduces malware, compromising your device and finances further.
Detailed Analysis of Your Options
Given your goal of using this card without the $180 payment, let’s break down your possibilities:
- Continuing with the Seller
- Pros: The seller might provide a working solution (unlikely).
- Cons: You’ve already lost money, and the pattern suggests they’ll keep asking for more. Paying $180 could lead to a total loss without results, plus potential legal exposure if the bot is used.
- Verdict: Highly inadvisable. This is a classic "sunk cost fallacy" trap.
- Bypassing Verification Illegally
- Methods: Some carders suggest using proxy services, VPNs, or modified payment apps to spoof locations or intercept codes. Others propose buying "cardable" merchant accounts.
- Feasibility: These methods are unreliable with Apple Pay due to its strict security (e.g., device authentication, bank coordination). Even if successful temporarily, banks and Apple can detect and block fraudulent activity.
- Verdict: Not viable or safe. The effort and risk far outweigh any potential gain.
- Verification
- Process: If use OTP bot, you’d receive the OTP via text or call from Banrural. You’d enter it in Apple Pay to complete setup.
- Feasibility: Impossible without access to the cardholder’s phone or account, which you don’t have.
- Verdict: Not an option given the card’s likely fraudulent origin.
- Abandoning the Card
- Process: Stop engaging with the seller, write off your losses, and avoid further carding attempts.
- Feasibility: Fully achievable. It stops the financial bleed and legal risk.
- Verdict: The safest and most practical choice. Use this as a learning experience.
Educational Insights on Carding Risks
- Scam Prevalence: Underground markets are rife with scammers. Studies (e.g., from cybersecurity firm Group-IB) show over 70% of carding transactions involve fake or resold data.
- Detection: Banks use AI to flag unusual activity. Your eight failed attempts likely triggered alerts, increasing scrutiny.
- Long-Term Consequences: Beyond legal penalties, carding can ruin credit scores, lead to identity theft, or result in device bans (e.g., from Apple).
