Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Security Breach Could Affect Check, Credit Card Users
ThePittsburghChannel.com
Call 4 Action: Security Breach Could Affect Check, Credit Card Users
POSTED: 3:38 pm EDT July 3, 2007
UPDATED: 3:56 pm EDT July 3, 2007
There's word Tuesday of a massive data breach that could affect anyone who has ever written a check or swiped a credit card to pay for something.
A major financial processing company revealed that one of its employees sold millions of consumer records to a private broker.
The records included everything from bank account numbers, to driver's license information, to whether you pay by check or credit card.
Every time you ring up at the store, something inside the register checks to see if your payment should be authorized.
Merchants across the country use a company called Certegy, a subsidiary of Fidelity National Information Services, which has all the goods on you.
According to its Web site, Certegy knows your credit history, past and present checking account numbers, any history of unpaid checks and driver's license numbers.
The company said an employee recently sold the information of 2.3 million people to an unidentified data broker and that the broker then sold it to marketing companies.
So far, it does not appear the data was used for identity theft. But many of the affected customers are reporting heavy solicitation by telemarketers and through the mail.
Certegy said it would notify all affected customers. They said they believe they will be able to get the information back to prevent its future use.
Certegy said they fired the employee allegedly involved in the breach. The company said they are also suing him.
If you're worried about an onslaught of telemarketing calls, make sure your number is included in the Do Not Call registry. You can do that by calling 888-382-1222.
Call 4 Action: Security Breach Could Affect Check, Credit Card Users
POSTED: 3:38 pm EDT July 3, 2007
UPDATED: 3:56 pm EDT July 3, 2007
There's word Tuesday of a massive data breach that could affect anyone who has ever written a check or swiped a credit card to pay for something.
A major financial processing company revealed that one of its employees sold millions of consumer records to a private broker.
The records included everything from bank account numbers, to driver's license information, to whether you pay by check or credit card.
Every time you ring up at the store, something inside the register checks to see if your payment should be authorized.
Merchants across the country use a company called Certegy, a subsidiary of Fidelity National Information Services, which has all the goods on you.
According to its Web site, Certegy knows your credit history, past and present checking account numbers, any history of unpaid checks and driver's license numbers.
The company said an employee recently sold the information of 2.3 million people to an unidentified data broker and that the broker then sold it to marketing companies.
So far, it does not appear the data was used for identity theft. But many of the affected customers are reporting heavy solicitation by telemarketers and through the mail.
Certegy said it would notify all affected customers. They said they believe they will be able to get the information back to prevent its future use.
Certegy said they fired the employee allegedly involved in the breach. The company said they are also suing him.
If you're worried about an onslaught of telemarketing calls, make sure your number is included in the Do Not Call registry. You can do that by calling 888-382-1222.
# posted by raveneye @ 3:17 PM 
