SURE YOU CHECK YOUR ACCOUNT
BALANCE FREQUENTLY.
KRISTIN:
OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS,
THE PERCENTAGE OF DEBIT CARDS
THAT HAVE BEEN COMPROMISED HAS
INCREASED DRAMATICALLY.
WATE, SIX ON YOUR SIDE CONSUMER
REPORTER DON DARE TALKED WITH A
KNOXVILLE WOMAN WHO'S
CARD WAS HACKED TWICE THIS YEAR.
DON:
ONE TIME SHE GOT HER MONEY BACK,
THEY SECOND TIME SHE DIDN'T.
OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS, THERE'S
BEEN A 25 PERCENT JUMP IN
THE NUMBER OF LOCATIONS OR
BUSINESSES WHERE DEBIT
CARDS WERE COMPROMISED. THAT
INFORMATION FROM FICO, THE
CARD ALERT SERVICE. MANY OF
THOSE BREACHES MEANT
THAT HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF
PEOPLE NEEDED NEW CARDS. THE
LADY WE TALKED WITH IS
ALREADY ON HER SECOND CARD THIS
YEAR.
FOR MORE THEN 40 YEARS, DORIS
RUSSELL WORKED AS A HOUSEKEEPER.
LIKE MANY COUPLES, SHE AND HER
HUSBAND WATCH THEIR SPENDING
CLOSELY. IN EARLY SPRING,
DORIS NOTICED THREE UNUSUAL PAY
PAL CHARGES MADE AGAINST HER
DEBIT CARD.
DORIS RUSSELL: I WENT TO THE
BANK. SHE CAME OUT AND SAW THIS
THE HUNDRED AND EIGHT, THE
HUNDRED AND EIGHT WAS
COMING OUT OF MY ACCOUNT AND
THEY WERE SCAMMING ME.
THE PURCHASES WERE MADE OUT
WEST.
DARE: WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU
WERE IN CALIFORNIA?
DORIS: I'VE NEVER BEEN. DARE:
HOW ABOUT THE STATE OF
WASHINGTON. DORIS: NEVER BEEN.
DARE: AS FAR AS YOU KNOW HAVE
YOU EVER PURCHASED ANYTHING FROM
CALIFORNIA? DORIS: NO. DARE:
NOTHING ONLINE? DARE: WHEN
WAS THE LAST TIME YOU PURCHASED
SOMETHING FROM
THE STATE OF WASHINGTON? DORIS:
I DON'T RECON ANYTIME.
IN APRIL, DORIS' BANK CREDITED
HER ACCOUNT 360 DOLLARS. SHE
ASKED FOR AND RECEIVED A
NEW DEBIT CARD IN APRIL. DORIS:
THEY GAVE ME A NEW CARD. THE
NEXT MONTH, MAY, HERE IT IS
COMING BACK AGAIN. IT WAS A
HUNDRED AND 58
DOLLARS FOR WESTERN UNION. DARE:
ONCE YOU GET THIS SECOND
FRAUDULENT CHARGE YOU DISPUTE
IT. WHAT DOES
THE CLAIM CENTER TELL YOU? THEY
WOULD HAVE TO TURN IT
ALL IN AND THEY'D HAVE TO
INVESTIGATE IT. DARE: SO WHAT'S
IT SAY HERE IN THE LETTER?
DORIS: THEY
INVESTIGATE IT. THEY DENIED IT.
DARE: BE VERY JUDICIOUS WITH THE
USE OF YOUR DEBIT CARD. FRED
COBB: ABSOLUTELY. TREAT IT AS IF
IT IS CASH IN
YOUR POCKET.
FRED COBB IS VICE PRESIDENT OF
SERVICES AT SWORD AND SHIELD
SECURITY COMPANY. HE SAYS CREDIT
CARDS ARE BACKED
BY ONE OF THE MAJOR CARD BRANDS
-- VISA, MASTERCARD, AMERICAN
EXPRESS -- WHERE A DEBIT
CARD IS ISSUED BY YOUR BANK.
FRED COBB, SWORD & SHIELD: DEBIT
CARDS BECAUSE THEY
ARE TIED TO A SAVINGS ACCOUNT OR
CHECKING
ACCOUNT, THEY COULD BE RISKIER
TO USE AS OPPOSED TO
A CREDIT CARD BALANCE, SAY YOU
HAVE ON YOUR VISA, IT HITS
YOU MORE DIRECT, MORE QUICKLY IF
THOSE CARDS ARE
COMPROMISED.
MRS. RUSSELL TOLD US HER DEBIT
CARD INFORMATION, HER ID, WAS
STOLEN THREE YEARS AGO BUT
THERE HAD NOT BEEN ANY ISSUES
UNTIL RECENTLY.
FRED COBB: ONCE YOUR NUMBER HAS
BEEN
COMPROMISED IT CAN HAPPEN
ANYWHERE WITH THE
FRAUDULENT CHARGES. AGAIN,
BECAUSE IT IS A DEBIT CARD IT
HITS YOUR BANKING ACCOUNT, YOUR
SAVINGS IMMEDIATELY.
IF YOU USE A DEBIT CARD TO BE ON
THE
SAFE SIDE, MONITOR YOUR ACCOUNT
FREQUENTLY;
CHECK YOUR ACCOUNT FOR
UNAUTHORIZED CHARGES OR
DEBITS; REPORT A SUSPICIOUS
CHARGE OR DEBIT IMMEDIATELY;
AND CHANGE YOUR PASSWORD
FREQUENTLY.
DORIS: FEND FOR YOURSELF.
DORIS FILED A POLICE REPORT AND
DAILY CHECKS HER ACCOUNT.
DON:
HACKING IS AN INDUSTRY-WIDE
PROBLEM -- AND EVEN GOES BEYOND
THE BANKS, AS PEOPLE WHO WENT
THROUGH THE TARGET CARD BREACH
SEVERAL YEARS AGO CAN
ATTEST.
THE MORE SECURE "CHIP READER AND
PIN" ON DEBIT, AND, CREDIT CARDS
IS A
WAY TO FIGHT HACKING. STILL,
GETTING HACKED TWICE IS TOO
MANY TIMES.
CONSUMER EXPERTS SAY, DON'T USE
YOUR DEBIT CARD TO PAY
AT BUSINESSES YOU DON'T TRUST.
KRISTIN AND LORI
KRISTIN:
IF YOU HAVE A CONSUMER
QUESTION FOR DON -- SEND HIM AN
EMAIL AT D-DARE AT W-A-T-E DOT
COM,
OR CALL HIS SIX ON YOUR SIDE
HOTLINE
NUMBER AT 865- 633-5974.
KRISTIN: