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What your credit card numbers tell you.

International standards

Credit card numbers are basically drawn up by the International Standards Organization (ISO). All credit cards share many similar characterizations due to the ISO; such as the size and the placement of the numbers, emblazoned across the front.

ISO is a standard-setting body of international representatives that help produce global standards, both commercial and industrial.

Why is ISO so important in our global market?

They not only create standards for credit cards but magnetic-striped ID cards as well, allowing for easier processing and recognition. Not only do credit cards across the board share the same material that they are made from (PVC), they share a common numbering sequence.

Understanding the numbers

A credit card can have up to a maximum of 19 digits according to ISO standards. Below is a breakdown of the numbers.
             
1) The first six digits

The first six digits of your credit card is the Major Industry Identifier (MII) and the Issuer Identifier Number (IIN).

The first number, MII, represents the category or system in which your credit card was issued. The MII together with the other five numbers identify the exact issuer, IIN.

Hence, the first 6 digits of a credit card are known as the Bank Identification Number (BIN).

These digits lets the merchant know what type of card you are using and with some cards, even the currency that will be used. An example of the most popular cards are:

3: Travel and Entertainment

American Express: 34xxxx-37xxxx
Diners Club: 38xxxx

4: Banking and financial

Visa: 4xxxxx

5: Banking and Financial

MasterCard: 51xxxx-55xxxx

6: Merchandising and banking

Discover: 6011xx

2) Account Number

The account number can be up to 12 digits. Each issuer has trillions of possible account numbers. The credit card account number is used to identify you. Each bank or card issuer will have various lengths and number sequences.

In some cases, your account number can be broken down in to when your card was last issued, if it has been lost or stolen, how many cards have been issued to an account, etc.
                     
3) Check Digit or Checksum

The checksum is an algorithm that was awarded a US Patent to an IBM Scientist named Hans Peter Luhn (1896-1964). The checksum is called the Luhn algorithm.

The checksum is used to confirm the initial digits of the card number. Benefits of using a checksum is that it prevents casual attempts to invent credit card numbers, as only one in ten will be valid.

If the credit card needs to be manually recorded, the checksum will help to prevent mistakes.

How to use the Checksum

Step one

Take the credit card number below and double every other digit from the left (marked in raised numbers below). (I got this number off an ad on the internet).
             
5424 1801 2345 6789
                     
5x2=10; 2x2=4; 1x2=2; 0x2=0; 2x2=4; 4x2=8; 6x2=12; 8x2=16. 

(You should come up with the following sequence of numbers: 10, 4, 2, 0, 4, 8, 12, and 16.)
                
Step two

Add the new numbers (10, 4, 2, 0, 4, 8, 12, and 16) to the numbers you didn't double (4, 4, 8, 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9) in the above card number.

All double digits (like 10, 12 and 16) should be added as a sum of their digits. An example would be: 10 becomes 1+0; 12 becomes 1+2 and 16 becomes 1+6).
                      
1+0+4+4+4 + 1+8+0+1 + 4+3+8+5 + 1+2+7+1+6+9 = 69

Step three

If the final sum is divisible by 10, then the credit card number is valid. If it cannot be divided by 10, the number is invalid or fake.
            
69 10 = 6.9
                    
As you can see, the number I got off the ad is a fake or invalid number. Grab a credit card out of your wallet and try this simple and fun test.
           
In addition
                             
Additional numbers on a credit card are the issue and expiration dates and CVV, CID, or CVC codes, which are security codes for various credit card companies. Not all credit cards will have the same sets of extra codes to identify if the card is authentic.
                          
With a little bit of knowledge, you can find out a lot about your credit card.

New Kind of Scam in India

I cannot stop myself from sharing this with all of you.

Its all started when I received a call from someone claiming that he was from my mobile service provider and he asked me to shutdown my phone for 2 hours for 3G update to take place. As I was rushing for a meeting, I did not question and shutdown my cell phone.

After 45 minutes I felt very suspicious since the caller did not even introduce his name. I quickly turned on my cell phone and I received several calls from my family members and the others were from the number that had called me earlier - 3954380.

I called my parents and I was shocked that they sounded very worried asking me whether I am safe. My parents told me that they had received a call from someone claiming that they had me with them and asking for money to let me free. The call was so real and my parents even heard 'my voice' crying out loud asking for help. My parent was at the bank waiting for next call to proceed for money transfer. I told my parents that I am safe and asked them to lodge a police report.

Right after that I received another call from the guy asking me to shutdown my cell phone for another 1 hour which I refused to do and hung up. They keep calling my cell phone until the battery had run down. I myself lodged a police report and I was informed by the officer that there were many such scams reported. MOST of the cases reported that the victim had already transferred the money! And it is impossible to get back the money.

Be careful as this kind of

scam might happened to any of us!!! Those guys are so professional and very convincing during calls. If you are asked to shut down your cell phone for updates by the service provider, ASK AROUND! Your family or friends might receive the same call.

Be Safe and Stay Alert!

Coffee & its Benefits

Benefits of COFFEE

1. Coffee is the #1 source of antioxidants in the American diet 

While fruits and veggies are still the richest sources of antioxidants, it turns out that for Americans, coffee is the main 

basis of antioxidant consumption (according to the Institute of Coffee Studies at Vanderbilt University). Black tea and bananas came in second and third place, respectively. Surprisingly, both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee provide similar amounts of antioxidants.

2. Coffee increases your metabolism 

Studies also show that coffee is very beneficial in terms of weight loss. It is a common misconception that coffee is an 

appetite suppressant, however, your morning cup can significantly speed up metabolism by about 10 percent. The National Research Council on Diet and Health found that metabolic rates will be highest during the first three hours following consumption. Just make sure to skip the added sugars, syrups, and whipped toppings found in many store-bought coffee drinks.

PLEASURE OF A DOG

MY DOG LEXEE

COPY AND PASTE OR CLICK (MAY BE COUPLE TIMES)

http://www.idodogtricks.com/index_flash.html

COMMAND THE DOG LIKE:

KISS 

DANCE

BARK

SIT

JUMP

SPEAK

ROLL OVER

DOWN

STAND

SING

SHAKE

FETCH

PLAY DEAD

SNEEZE

 AND PERHAPS A COMMAND SENSELESS TO DOG

AND THEN SUBMIT

Help Others & Our nation

Kindly, share this valuable information wherever possible.

1.  If you see children Begging anywhere in TAMIL NADU, please contact: 

"RED SOCIETY" at 9940217816               9940217816      . They will help the children for their studies. 

2.  Where you can search for any BLOOD GROUP, you will get thousand's of donor address. www.friendstosupport.org 

3. Engineering Students can register in www.campuscouncil.com to attend Off Campus for 40 Companies. 

4. Free Education and Free hostel for Handicapped/Physically Challenged children. 

Contact:- 9842062501               9842062501       & 9894067506               9894067506      . 

5. If anyone met with fire accident or people born with problems in their ear, nose and mouth can get free PLASTIC SURGERY done by  Kodaikanal   PASAM Hospital . From 23rd March to 4th April by German Doctors. 

Everything is free. Contact : 045420-240668,245732 

"Helping Hands are Better than Praying Lips" 

6. If you find any important documents like Driving license, Ration card, Passport, Bank Pass Book, etc., missed by someone, simply put them into any near by Post Boxes. They will automatically reach the owner and Fine will be collected from them. 

7.  By the next 10 months, our earth will become 4 degrees hotter than what it is now. Our Himalayan glaciers are melting at rapid rate. So let all of us lend our hands to fight GLOBAL WARMING. 

  -Plant more Trees. 

  -Don't waste Water & Electricity.       

  -Don't use or burn Plastics 

8.  It costs 38 Trillion dollars to create OXYGEN for 6 months for all Human beings on earth. 

"TREES DO IT FOR FREE" 

"Respect them and Save them" 

9.   Special phone number for Eye bank and Eye donation: 04428281919               04428281919       and 04428271616               04428271616       (Sankara Nethralaya Eye Bank). For More information about how to donate eyes plz visit these sites.http://ruraleye.org/ 

10.  Heart Surgery free of cost for children (0-10 yr) Sri Valli Baba Institute Banglore. 10. 

Contact : 9916737471               9916737471       

11. Medicine for Blood Cancer!!!! 

'Imitinef Mercilet' is a medicine which cures blood cancer. Its available free of cost at "Adyar Cancer Institute in Chennai". Create Awareness. It might help someone. 

Cancer Institute  in Adyar, Chennai 

Category:  Cancer 

Address: 

East Canal Bank Road , Gandhi Nagar 

Adyar 

Chennai -600020 

Landmark: Near Michael School 

Phone:  044-24910754               044-24910754        044-24910754               044-24910754       ,   044-24911526               044-24911526        044-24911526               044-24911526       ,  044-22350241               044-22350241         044-22350241               044-22350241       

12.  Please CHECK WASTAGE OF FOOD 

If you have a function/party at your home in India and food gets wasted, don't hesitate to call 1098 (only in India ) - Its not a Joke, This is the number of Child helpline. 

They will come and collect the food. Please circulate this message which can help feed many children. 

AND LETS TRY TO HELP INDIA BE A BETTER PLACE TO LIVE IN 

Please Save Our Mother Nature for 

"OUR FUTURE GENERATIONS"