Hacker News Reader

Comment by lozaning | Hacker News Reader

They require a credit/debit card that they charge a $1 to. That cards billing address must be either the old address or the new address. So yea, its easy, but it's not that easy.

Though now that I think about it i wonder if you could use those visa giftcards that let you edit your address. Maybe it is indeed that easy.

View on HN

USPS requires the credit/debit card charge if you fill out the form online. IIRC, they charge nothing if you do it in person, but you may be required to show ID.

Nope. Fill out form, hand in (or IIRC, drop in any mail box). They may glance to make sure you signed it, but nothing more.

Maybe enough to skip through the automated checks, maybe not. I suppose it depends on whether it's being done through an ID verification service or just a payment processor putting a hold on the card.

The gift card number wouldn't be visible to the ID verification services as a credit or deposit account, and that'll certainly knock points off in their scoring system.

I suspect it would just shift the point where someone eventually notices either way.

You correct a $1 preauthorization without capture occurs that veirfy AVS part of Zip code and disappeares from yiur account within 48 hours. So only Zip code of new/old card is required at the office, unless you do it online then whole address is being verified.

Usps system recognizes gift cards and do not allow those, so is majority of online services for example Digital Ocean (due to using their boxes for spam)

AVS can check the numeric part of the address as well as the zip code.

As I understand it, though, this would still green-light "1234 Sixth Street" for "1234 Wilson Avenue." I also suspect it's less than bulletproof on some weird format addresses

Yes, the Visa gift cards work, at least as of a few years ago. Most of them will let you change the "billing zip code" online as often as you like, or simply always return success on Address Verification System (AVS) queries.

Most stores don't routinely keep surveillance footage around very long, though I have suspicions about Target.

Anyone can change their credit card billing address to anything they want.

That does leave a paper trail for the postal inspector looking for a collar.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com