Credit Card Numbers For Sale

http://www.slate.com/id/2189902/



I found an interesting article related chapter 16 about “data supermarkets”. According to security experts at an InfoSecurity conference, a wide range of credit card and bank account numbers are for sale on the black market. The costs range wildly depending on the information. Bank accounts with personal data can sell for a few hundred dollars where a simple unvalidated credit card number could go for one dollar each. Some numbers come pre tested with small charges already made to see if the owner would even notice the charge and some come with full identities including passwords social security numbers and addresses. The main lesson from this article is that you need to do more than using computer protection to thwart identity theft. Identities and card numbers are stolen from major companies like TJ Maxx and Wal-Mart or from dishonest clerks leaving you to take charge and be aware of every charge posted to every account.