With the Macca's scam, the crims used the data to create fake debit cards and then stole the funds via ATMs. Credit cards have always been easy pickings for card crims, as stores selling high value items will attest. To my direct knowledge, a store that I won't name, had a $22,000 plasma TV ripped off via a stolen credit card.

Gangs of "tourists" from Malaysia and Singapore would hit Sydney (and other big cities) with stolen cards and "go to town" with them. It got to the stage were the main banks would not accept any cards that originated in some Asian countries without a phone call where they spoke to the 'customer' to establish bona fides. Some banks simply declined the cards out of hand, valid or not, such was the extent of card fraud coming from those quarters.

It beats me as to where people get the time. I wouldn't try something like this simply out of the need to constantly look over my shoulder and worry about dawn raids, etc.

The risk vs reward equation. Like with drug syndicates, the risk of detection is high, but so are the profits of the enterprise. Card scam syndicates have 'fences' in place to buy the stolen goods.

There's another level of scammer who buys gift cards with bogus credit cards, to an extent hiding the trail in the process. If those crims don't go berserk with the quantities purchased, then there's a good chance that they will go undetected. They take the risk that if the fraud is detected early the gift cards will be cancelled before they can be redeemed. They are also subject to the risk that store CCTV is linked to the POS system so that vision for a given transaction can be readily retrieved.

I think it boils down to luck or being in the wrong place at the wrong time .
In my 20s I set off on my own and travel through Asia, then the east , Egypt ,then I hitch hiked around Europe and then through the eastern block . I got into all kinds of situations ,but I never lost any money and nothing ever got stolen, The I came back to Australia and I was mugged in Glebe by 4 guys as I came out of a restaurant with a lady . They got my wallet,
Her bag, my car. Keys .
But it was ironic that it happened there after all the counties I had hitch hiked through.
So it's either luck or just being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Funny I don't travel anymore it's out of my system finally.

Pete