Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!samsung!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!usc!apple!bionet!hayes.fai.alaska.edu!accuvax.nwu.edu!nucsrl!telecom-request From: monty@sunne.east.sun.com (Monty Solomon - Temp Consultant) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: Re: AT&T Calling Card Discrimination Message-ID: <10108@accuvax.nwu.edu> Date: 25 Jul 90 03:37:26 GMT Sender: news@accuvax.nwu.edu Organization: TELECOM Digest Lines: 27 Approved: Telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 10, Issue 515, Message 7 of 12 In article <10009@accuvax.nwu.edu> 0003513813@mcimail.com (John C. Fowler) writes: >When I call up one of my credit card customer service lines, they >frequently require that I give them my mother's maiden name, or my ZIP >code, or when was the last time I ate at a restaurant and charged it >to that card, or something else designed to insure that it really is >me calling them and not just somebody who found my card. Most of the time, the credit card companies just ask for name, address and zip code. This is an annoying farce. Almost anyone can obtain this information about you, especially any mail order firm where you have placed an order. Citibank has an automated attendant which asks for your credit card number and zip code. After keying in that information using a tone phone, you can find out your available balance and date and amount of last payment. There are no privacy protections here. I'm sure that lots of customers find this to be convenient though. I would like them to require a PIN or some other code instead of the zip code for identification/verification purposes. # Monty Solomon /