Thinking of Payment Card Theft…Think Again
| March 28, 2010 |
When it comes to stealing debit and credit card numbers, the sheer amount of cases have grown tremendously over the last few years. While criminals continue to try new ways to get your information and money, the U.S. courts are letting it be known that this type of crime will not be tolerated and are issuing stiffer penalties than any time in the past.
Last year we saw one of the largest payment card thefts take place, which involved more than 40 million stolen debit and credit card numbers by way of hacking into TJX Cos Inc, BJ’s Wholesale Club Inc and Barnes & Noble’s computer system. While many of the people thought to be involved have yet to be tried that is not the case of Albert Gonzalez who recently pleaded guilty for his involvement. With his plea he received 20 years in prison, which according to some judicial experts is the harshest sentence ever handed down for a computer crime in an American court. In addition to the 20 years more time may be added as there are more charges pending.
When it comes to credit card theft and fraud, it is something that affects millions of people every year and continues to grow. While in many cases it is not the actions of consumers that result in valuable information being taking, many are taking steps help ensure that they are never a victim. As a result we have seen more people opt for newer technology that helps guard your information like virtual cards which information can be found in an article entitled "Virtual Credit Cards Offer Safer Online Shopping". In addition to that many people are opting to use other forms payments such as prepaid cards to make purchases, especially online where many cases of fraud occur.
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