[ic] RE: Interchaneg & Credit Card Numbers...

Jim Balcom interchange-users@interchange.redhat.com
Mon Nov 5 19:49:01 2001


On Mon, 5 Nov 2001 cfm@maine.com wrote:

>>That happened to me with a card I **never** used except at the local ATM
>>at the home bank.  Some $4k in airline tickets.  They didn't want to
>>give me the money back either.  When I pointed out that they had already
>>transferred the issue to their fraud department before I called they
>>relented.  They thought it was simply a matter of someone generating codes
>>and trying them until they worked.  Don't need internet for that; the numbers
>>themselves are not that hard to generate.  The purchase was not even in
>>my name.  One's security as a shopper is the bank.  Who knows what happened
>>to the travel agent; probably doing business next town over.

Last October I sold a domain name for $20,000. I went to Car-Max and bought
a wonderful car for $11,000. (Car Max is the ONLY way to buy a car!) I wrote
a check for the car. The salesman went to the cashier with the check to get
it verified. (Totally acceptable!) The salesman came back and said, "Thank
you Mr. balcom. Your check is approved and your bank balance is $21,056" He
could have also rattled off my last 5 transactions.

I protested about this to First Union, and I was told that their customers
like this feature and they refused to change it. Car-Max had my checking
account number and my drivers license number. That was all that they needed
to explore my whole account!

Today I authorized a check over the phone to pay a bill, simply by giving
them the numbers on a check.

Or, you hand me a check, in person, in payment for a product of mine and I
can use that information to pay my own bills!

First Unions response was that any time that I give out my checking account
number that I am putting myself at risk. For several months, scared
shitless, I kept my cash in a desk drawer and bought money orders to pay
bills. But, I need the audit trail that checks give me.

Where does it end?

-= Jim =-

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Jim's Linux-Operated Underground Bomb Shelter

Tagline for Monday, November 05, 2001 at 19:40 PM:
Smoke me a kipper, I'll be back for breakfast.

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This Linux System has been up 250 hours

My web page: http://www.idk-enterprises.com
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