Random Math/Pin number blabber

[Haggus]

I feel this is very random, but then I looked around OT and don't feel so out of place and twatish posting this...

Basically, I was thinking (yes it did hurt abit) that if Pin numbers only have 4 Digits there can only be 10,000 combinations. So if a bank has 1,000,000 Customers - 100 of them will have the same pin number. Theoretically speaking that is.

Because people change their pin number would that number increase?

I've changed my pin number but with Natwest having well over 1,000,000 customers they theoretically, according to my calculations, have Automatically assigned my pin number to someone in Britain?

Anyway, back to work!

 

[Laddey]

fucking lol dont feel twatish posting that here but you wont get any use from me

 

[old.Tohtori]

Aye, been saying that quite some time.

With 4 number digits, there can only be 10.000 combinations.

 

[Haggus]

Have thought about this abit more than just thinking that over the hole spread of the banks there still can only be 10,000 numbers.

So the total of all custombers in the hole of the UK who use banks and have a pin number, let's say 62,500,000 million. 25,000,000 ~ are in employment meaning that those _must_ have a bank account. For those of those in employment but do not have a bank account will accumilate for those of the unemployed that do have a bank account.

So that means that 2500 people on the country have the same pin number. Meaning the chances of someone having the same pin number as you is quite high to be honest.

There are also loads of little calculations I didn't take into account like people having multipul accouts with different pin numbers etc. So realistically those numbers are far bellow _actual_ facts.

Suprising huh

 

[Ezteq]

i never thought about it...and i'm not going to start now.

Good Day to you sir!

 

[old.Tohtori]

Haggus, just to poke your brain more, think about it globally

 

[Cadelin]

Assuming you pick a random pin number the chances of you having the same pin as a random person you meet in the street is 1/10 000. There are more than 10 000 people in the country so the chances are that a lot of people will share you pin but the chances of meeting someone with the same number are quite low. To help with an example if you were in Wembley stadium while it was full there would be around 8 other people with the same pin as you. Good luck meeting them by chance!

There is also no problem with having the same pin number as somebody else though anyway because you only ever use your pin with your (credit/debit/cash) card. Now your card has a 16 digit number on it which means there are plenty of numbers compared to available accounts so everybody can have a unique number. As well as this 16 digit number you also have expiry date etc which make even more possibilities.

4 digit pins are also quite safe as you only get 3 chances to guess it before it locks you out. A thief would have to steal over 3000 credit cards in order to guess a pin correctly and hopefully he would have been caught by then! Criminal gangs use hidden cameras as the best way to steal peoples pin numbers so just put your hand over the keypad while you type it in if you are worried about your pin!

 

[pikeh]

But no others have the same bank card so it dosen't matter

Ahh, exactly what Cad said

 

[ford prefect]

Actually there aren't 10,000 combinations. I am reliably informed by my brother who works in a card centre that consecutive numbers (1234,2345,3456,4567,5678,6789,7890 or) aren't allowed, and come banks disallow four identicle numbers (0000,1111 ect.), so there are approximately cash card 9974 pin combinations. As cash machines generally allow you three attempts enter a pin, someone has approximately a 1 in 3324 chance of guessing your pin, which is still very small chance.

 

[Zenith.UK]

The chip and pin device shouldn't be bolted to the counter, you should be able to pick it up or remove it from it's holder. I make a big point of removing the CnP device from it's holder in the supermarket and holding it close to my chest while thumbing in the PIN.

The number of checkout operators who have said "I didn't know it could do that!".

 

[Sar]

Have thought about this abit more than just thinking that over the hole spread of the banks there still can only be 10,000 numbers.

So the total of all custombers in the hole of the UK who use banks and have a pin number, let's say 62,500,000 million. 25,000,000 ~ are in employment meaning that those _must_ have a bank account. For those of those in employment but do not have a bank account will accumilate for those of the unemployed that do have a bank account.

So that means that 2500 people on the country have the same pin number. Meaning the chances of someone having the same pin number as you is quite high to be honest.

There are also loads of little calculations I didn't take into account like people having multipul accouts with different pin numbers etc. So realistically those numbers are far bellow _actual_ facts.

Suprising huh

2,500/62,500,000 = 1 in 25,000

Not great odds tbh

 

[Sparx]

Good Day to you sir!

 

[adoNix]

Vtec goo haggus!

 

[Zede]

2,500/62,500,000 = 1 in 25,000

Not great odds tbh

give ppl a 1 in 25k chance of lets say getting hold of potentially 10000s of pounds...they would do it.....oh they DO DO it...scratch cards & the like ! legal of course, but ppl do do such things with odds stacked well and truly against em !

ive done the lottery, erm twice since it appeared in the uk

 

[pikeh]

ive done the lottery, erm twice since it appeared in the uk

Won £80 on it the other week!

 

[Mey]

The chip and pin device shouldn't be bolted to the counter, you should be able to pick it up or remove it from it's holder. I make a big point of removing the CnP device from it's holder in the supermarket and holding it close to my chest while thumbing in the PIN.

The number of checkout operators who have said "I didn't know it could do that!".

I usually just cover it with my other hand cause im far to lazy to pick it up!

We use chip and pin devices in the bank now to deposit/withdraw, you ask a costumer if they know there pin number (so that you know you can use the machine rather than swiping it) and without thinking they immediately start reeling it off. Quite commical.

 

[Amanita]

I usually just cover it with my other hand cause im far to lazy to pick it up!

We use chip and pin devices in the bank now to deposit/withdraw, you ask a costumer if they know there pin number (so that you know you can use the machine rather than swiping it) and without thinking they immediately start reeling it off. Quite commical.

Caught myself nearly reeling off my pin numbers when I was trying to remember one for my rarely-used credit card

 

[TheBinarySurfer]

give ppl a 1 in 25k chance of lets say getting hold of potentially 10000s of pounds...they would do it.....oh they DO DO it...scratch cards & the like ! legal of course, but ppl do do such things with odds stacked well and truly against em !

ive done the lottery, erm twice since it appeared in the uk

Could that be something to do with being burdened with an above-average intelligence and an understanding of probability, unlike those who play it weekly? (i lump myself in the above category with you).

Edit: In Bristol theres a numpty who had his date of birth and address tattooed on himself so he wouldn't forget them. I wonder how he remembers his pin?

 

[Sar]

give ppl a 1 in 25k chance of lets say getting hold of potentially 10000s of pounds...they would do it.....oh they DO DO it...scratch cards & the like ! legal of course, but ppl do do such things with odds stacked well and truly against em !

ive done the lottery, erm twice since it appeared in the uk

I know, I do the odd scratch card, and the odd thing is I at least win my money back most of the time on them.

The main lottery is a different kettle of fish - did it for about 5 years when it launched, and won less than £100 all told.

 

[Mey]

I bought a lottery ticket, then got mugged and lost it haha ;(

 

[Thorwyn]

The problem with changing your PIN is, that many people tend to change it to something they can remember... like their birthdate or any other date (marriage, birthdays of children etc). With this information, you can try to narrow it down. Chances are, that the first and/or third digit will be a 0 (day, month). Depending on the order (14.5. or 5-14 for fourteenth of may) you can significantly increase your chances of you chose a number of 0, 1 or 2 for the day and 0 for the month.

 

[old.Tohtori]

The problem with changing your PIN is, that many people tend to change it to something they can remember... like their birthdate or any other date (marriage, birthdays of children etc). With this information, you can try to narrow it down. Chances are, that the first and/or third digit will be a 0 (day, month). Depending on the order (14.5. or 5-14 for fourteenth of may) you can significantly increase your chances of you chose a number of 0, 1 or 2 for the day and 0 for the month.

Hmm...people don't remember their 4 digit codes?

It's possible, just seems rather odd to me.

 

[Thorwyn]

Hmm...people don't remember their 4 digit codes?

It's possible, just seems rather odd to me.

Not at all!

1. People are lazy. They don´t want to remember things when they don´t have to. Think about computer passwords. Many people still use names of relatives etc.
2. Forgetting your PIN is pretty nasty. The card is gone, you have to contact the bank and you end up with no cash if it happens to be in the middle of the night.
3. Think about how many PIN´s you have to remember. Bank card, credit card, cell phone PIN, video store card etc.etc. Taking a wild guess, I´d say the average man/woman has about 5-10 PIN´s to remember. A friend of mine recently counted all his different PIN´s and came to a whopping 35.

 

[Mey]

I don't remeber the numbers of my pin per say, its more the combination of key presses if that makes sense?

 

[Afran]

Why the fuck would you have 35 pin numbers

 

[old.Tohtori]

I don't remeber the numbers of my pin per say, its more the combination of key presses if that makes sense?

Kinda like old time phone phone number thingies

I've got two cards, two security door codes, phone pin, two work phone pins, about a dozen(more used) internet related different passwords.

That i can think of and everyone is in ze head.

That's why it's so "unthinkable" that a pin or two would be a problem to remember.

But, for those who do need to remember it is, i guess, safer to put something of your life in the number THEN to carry all the numbers.

 

[Tasslehoff]

give ppl a 1 in 25k chance of lets say getting hold of potentially 10000s of pounds...they would do it.....oh they DO DO it...scratch cards & the like ! legal of course, but ppl do do such things with odds stacked well and truly against em !

ive done the lottery, erm twice since it appeared in the uk

But would you do it, if it was illegal?

 

[Bugz]

I forget my pin if I'm put on the spot or I try thinking about it too much.

If I do it automatically without thinking - I have no problem.

The missus normally does that part of the shopping anyway

 

[old.Tohtori]

The missus normally does that part of the shopping anyway

You got engaged? Congratulations!

 

[Overdriven]

You got engaged? Congratulations!

Aye, where he's from "Sister", "Wife" and "Missus" are the exact same things.