uh-oh: Visa, MC: 5 million accounts hacked - Big Big Forums

Quaker_Parrots · 02-19-2003, 09:47 AM

http://msnbc.com/news/874126.asp?cp1=1

Visa, MC: 5 million accounts hacked

Third-party processor leaked data, credit card firms say

Feb. 18 — More than five million Visa and MasterCard accounts throughout the nation were accessed after the computer system at a third party processor was hacked into, according to representatives for the card associations. Early indications were that none of the information, which would include credit card numbers, was used in a fraudulent way, according to the representatives.

THE ASSOCIATIONS said they could not provide a timeline of when the breach took place or details on how it was accomplished because it involved a third party processor used by merchants and not Visa or MasterCard systems. The associations said they could not disclose the name of that processor.
Visa and MasterCard are associations made up of financial institutions who issue the cards.
MasterCard said it began to notify its members the week of Feb. 3 that more than 2 million MasterCard accounts had been broken into after the processor told it about the problem, MasterCard spokeswoman Sharon Gamsin told Reuters.

About 3.4 million Visa accounts also have been accessed in the incident, according to spokesman John Abrams.
“Visa’s fraud team immediately notified all affected card issuing financial institutions and is working with the third-party payment card processor to protect against the threat of a future intrusion,” the association said in a statement.
Neither Visa nor MasterCard would disclose which institutions were involved.
“This is not something regional, it was throughout the nation and could be any bank,” Abrams said.
Both associations said no customer would be liable for any charges incurred as a result of fraud. They said the processor was working with law enforcement officials on the matter.

Quaker_Parrots · 02-19-2003, 09:58 AM

Boy am I glad I don't have credit cards

wingsfan · 02-19-2003, 10:00 AM

I don't think it had anything to do with online shopping, it was hacked through the verifying system is what they said on the news here. The system they use to make sure you have enough $$ on the card to cover the purchase.

jayhawkfan · 02-19-2003, 10:49 AM

Yeah no kidding....They wouldnt get much from my Visa Debit. For that matter they wouldnt get much with my regular Visa. And with the status of my credit they wouldnt want my identity either

schsa · 02-19-2003, 11:27 AM

Just keep an eye on your bill when it comes in. That will be the kicker.

Ghetto_Gurl · 02-19-2003, 11:46 AM

uh ohs we have ALOT of cash in our bank account

hope they didnt get mine. going to check my bank account right now.

02-19-2003, 11:56 AM

checking your accounts daily and weekly is the best thing to do to be aware.
TO catch something early is how I found 2 huge charges I didn't make in 2001. The looser who used my card had items shipped to their house, and paid a bill with an account number. easy to find them.

wingsfan · 02-19-2003, 11:57 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by jayhawkfan
Yeah no kidding....They wouldnt get much from my Visa Debit. For that matter they wouldnt get much with my regular Visa. And with the status of my credit they wouldnt want my identity either

LMAO...that exactly what I said to DH last night.

02-19-2003, 02:11 PM

I wonder if this is why I had two teen-porn membership charges to my Mastercard recently.

Really pissed me off. I had the card changed immediately. Everybody . . . use Shopsafe whenever possible. It's lightning fast, spits out a virtual card number in seconds, lets you assign a maximum amount, and lets you expire the number in one month.

It's particularly useful for cyclical charges, such as an over-ambitious internet provider you wish to try out for free for, say, 3 months . . . and then foreclose them from "accidentally" (yeahright) continuing to charge you after you've cancelled. Oh and, they won't be able to tell it's a virtual number.

Loads o' fun. Best thing since the invention of Lycra LOL.

MommyG3 · 02-19-2003, 02:58 PM

It is VERY scary. My boss's brother had his identity stolen a year ago and he is working very hard to get THAT mess straightened out.

captorquewrench · 02-19-2003, 04:01 PM

oh goodness I hope it was not VeriSign.