WP:Cardholders Kept in Dark After Breach(some banks don't tell customers)

[DeepModem Mom]

Cardholders Kept in Dark After Breach
Some Banks Decline to Tell Customers Whether Accounts Were Compromised

By Mike Musgrove
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, June 23, 2005; Page D05


Consumer advocates said credit card customers have been denied crucial information in the wake of a recent data breach, as some major banks are declining to tell cardholders whether their account may have been accessed by hackers.

In a security lapse disclosed by MasterCard International Inc. last week, 40 million credit card and debit card numbers were exposed to an intruder who gained access sometime last year through a credit-processing firm. An interagency group of federal banking regulators has begun an investigation into the incident.

Meanwhile, Internet security firm Secure Computing Corp. warned yesterday that a fresh appearance of an old e-mail scam appears to come from opportunistic fraudsters hoping to use fear about the recent data theft as a way to trick MasterCard customers into giving up their account information.

Companies such as J.P. Morgan Chase & Co., Citigroup Inc., American Express Co. and MBNA Corp. said that they are not automatically alerting their customers that their information may have been exposed but that they are more closely monitoring the accounts that may have been affected. The policy was reported yesterday on CNetNews.com.

Such credit-card-issuing banks said MasterCard and Visa have shared with them lists of account numbers that may have been compromised. Though such accounts may earn heightened scrutiny from the banks that issued them, customers may never know whether their account numbers were among those stolen by hackers....


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/22/AR2005062202037.html

[acmavm]

1. Just another case of the public paying for a flawed and defective

product. And the 'provider' knowing full well that it may be hazardous to your 'financial' health.

[katmondoo]

2. I just sent the final check to Master card

From now on I will not charge anything unless I absolutely need it and then I will pay it off immediately. It took a long time to get to this point. I am in fear of a collapse in the economy. If the Democrats win the next election this false economy will end in a severe depression, that way the Democrats will be blamed making way for the Repugs to come back in full force. I am going to pay off the car next, I have a small house, not worth very much but it is mortgage free, so I will survive. Those who are living on the edge with a high mortgage and high credit card balances are in for a hard time. I saw this happen in the 80's with Reagan and it will come again. 3 and 4 house for sale on every block.

[matcom]

3. CALL YOUR BANKS EVERYONE!! My VISA was compromised

only way I found out was because Mrs Matcom runs the fraud dept at our bank.

they didn't get my name, but got my card # and expiration.

CALL YOUR BANKS! THEY ALL KNOW WHICH (if any) OF THEIR CARDS GOT NAILED.

[DeepModem Mom]

4. Thanks, matcom -- and Mrs. Matcom! nt

[DeepModem Mom]

7. Kicking matcom's advice --

[Rich Hunt]

5. What I can't stand is...

that they always include some story about "phishing" in these pieces. Not all compromised information comes from "phishing", but they always do this so that they can blame the victim if they do complain that their information was stolen. They make it sounds as if all customers are idiots who would fall prey to that. "Phishing" and this story are two different stories.

No one higher up wants to take responsibility for their mistakes.

[matcom]

6. yup. i certainly didn't fall prey to phishing

and they got me. NEVER have i filled out anything regarding my debit card and/or bank