June 07, 2010
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News: City Educates Its Residents On CC Theft
One city is responding to one of the fastest growing criminal activities, debit and credit card fraud, by educating its residents on how to protect their identity and credit. Lake Havasu City Police Department's is reaching out to Lake Havasu City residents telling them about the recent rise in debit and credit card fraud involving internet transactions. According to the police department's spokesperson, Sgt. Joe Harrold, conducting business over the internet is one of the most vulnerable processes and poses the greatest security threats. Furthermore, debit and credit card fraud is difficult to head off at the pass because most victims don't become aware of the problem until the bank notifies them of either suspicious activity or over-the-limit problems. Harrold noted that most of the stolen card cases processed by the department typically are also used in other jurisdictions making the cases even more complex.
The Lake Havasu City Police Detective Scott Cheshire said the department has seen an increase in an immerging debit and credit card cybercriminals that are able to obtain card numbers when merchants process their end of day batch between the bank and the merchant's data base. In response, local police detective have been discussing the problem with local banks and have encouraged all retailers to hire a computer technician expert to thoroughly check their computer systems for any vulnerabilities. Merchants should also have technicians check to make sure hackers and credit card thieves have not accessed their systems through a back door.
Some banks have security systems in place that aid in preventing credit card breaches. Mary Jane Rogers, a spokesperson for Chase Bank, said that the bank partners with its cardholders and has a very proactive fraud management system that monitors card activity to identify suspicious spending activity. When a red flag pops up, the bank immediately notifies the cardholder. Rogers said that cardholders can protect themselves by reviewing card statements immediately, use secure connections when shopping online have a reliable anti-theft or anti-virus program installed on their computers, and notify their bank immediately of any suspicious card activity.