FOR ANYONE WITH A CREDIT CARD

[rhea07177]

i thought everyone should know a very important piece of info that happened at my work the other day. My billing dept manager called to put in a request if a customer had enough credit on his card to charge $400. Well, turns out, he called the regular toll-free number, not intended for merchants by accident. he got a automated machine, asking him to enter in the c.c. number; he did. after that it requested that he enter in the zip code; he did. by entering in only these two pieces of info, he was able to find out how much this customers c/l was, how much was availble credit, last payment, ect.

After he told me this, i was appalled because my c.c. is the same way and it never occured to me that this would happen. i called my c.c. company (MC) and they told me that there was nothing they could do; the couldn't add a seperate pin and they couldn't take my card off the automated system, and i don't understand why. they told me i could write to correspondance at the same address i send my bill to - and of course, its a p.o. box! i even spoke with a supervisor and she was no help. she said that i could add a password to the account, so when someone called and spoke w/ an operator, they would ask for the password. WHAT GOOD WOULD THIS DO?!?!?

i just thought you should know this info...any one can access your personal credit info if you give them your address and c.c. info. (purchasing online, over the phone, or even your car repair shop - you have to give all these people your address, and c.c. if thats how you want it billed.

im hoping by telling all of you, you would join me and complain to the c.c. companies so they will get this changed. please let me know if any c.c. automated machies are different, because id like to apply to a different one! also, please let me know if any are the same so i know which ones to stay away from.

THANKS A BUNCH!!!!

rhea