Credit card security is always an issue when transacting over the internet. This new twist on an old standby has people up 
in arms in Austin, Texas. Credit card numbers from restaurant guests at a local downtown hotel were stolen when enterprising fraudsters hacked into the hotel’s accounting network.
The hotel has fixed the security breach but it is not known exactly how many victims there are but local law enforcements have estimated that up to 700 credit card numbers have been stolen. Numbers from the guests of the Driskill Hotel restaurant were stolen along with patrons who stayed at one of the approximately three dozen locations managed by Destination Hotels and Resorts, the parent company of Driskill Hotel. The Driskill Hotel was built in 1886 and is a member of the Historic Hotels of America and Associated Luxury Hotels International.
Austin Police Sgt. Matt Greer identifies the theft as “serious’ and says, “We are looking at losses in the hundreds of thousands…” Greer identified that most of the thefts have been recently identified but thought that most of the thefts occurred within the past two months.
Police received several complaints when card holders noticed unusual transactions appearing on their cards. Some unauthorized charges averaged in the $2,000 range.
The US Secret Service is on board searching for the hackers behind the heist.
On High Alert for Summer
With the summer holidays soon starting banks are on high alert for more shenanigans from thieves over the summer break. Banks and credit card companies take consumers card safety to heart and fraud teams are on ‘high alert’ for unauthorized transactions and odd card use.
To keep customers at ease and knowing that their card is safe most banks and card companies have a ‘real time update’ that can be accessed on line or at the nearest bank branch. From here, consumers can check their account balance and any transactions that have occurred.
Let the bank and card company do their job and look after your card. When on vacation notify them that you will be traveling. This is of particular importance when traveling out of the country. They will ear tag your account. This will notify them so they know to expect out of country charges. Otherwise they may suspect that the account has been hacked and may even freeze it.
Summer Identity Theft
With the increase use of credit cards over the holidays there is an increased chance of identity theft. Some common precautions should be taken over the summer to prevent the hassle of ID theft.
By doing a few simple things, identity theft can be minimized:
• Remove unwanted or extra ID from purse or wallet. Removing unused ID and cards will prevent them from being taken.
• Take a photocopy of passport and driver’s license and keep it in a secondary secure place should a passport or photo id is lost or stolen.
• Do not give ID or credit card numbers over the telephone or internet unless the site is known and secure. The site must provide a secure, encrypted location (it should have a ‘padlock’ icon at the top and the website address should begin with ‘https://’ rather than ‘http://’).
• Check the bank card activity regularly. This will help to detect if the card has been skimmed or hacked by someone.
• Shield the PIN pad when entering the pin number at ATM machines.
Related Posts:
- Hannaford Supermarkets Experience Security Breach - One of the largest supermarket chains in New England, the Hannaford Supermarkets chain, is in the midst of reissuing debit and credit...
- Credit Card Thieves Target Hotel Guests In Their Rooms - The Sacramento Bee recently reported on credit card thieves that had been running a new scam targeting hotel guests. Several reports about...
- Indiana Announces Security Breach to State Website - It seems TJX isn't the only place experiencing breaches in their computer security. Indiana residents now need to be concerned about having...
- California State University Announced Security Breach - I am sure we don’t have a large group of people reading this blog that would be affected by the security breach...