Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!mailrus!accuvax.nwu.edu!nucsrl!telecom-request From: john@bovine.ati.com (John Higdon) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: Re: Voice Mail Passwords Message-ID: <12066@accuvax.nwu.edu> Date: 12 Sep 90 21:12:28 GMT Sender: news@accuvax.nwu.edu Reply-To: John Higdon Organization: Green Hills and Cows Lines: 23 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 639, Message 5 of 10 Dave Speed writes: > On a similar note, our local grocery chain has > installed pseudo ATM's for banking from the checkout line. Perhaps I'm > paranoid, but I don't see any advantage (to *me*) in giving the > merchant my bank number and PIN. Am I being silly ? I think so. ATM card-accepting merchants are quite common here. I personally find it to be convenient and a more acceptable way to transact business than cash, check, or credit card. Are you worried that the merchant will drain all of your money out of your account while you aren't looking? Do you think that he is capturing all those PINs in the back room so that he can retire to Tahiti? I would lay odds that the merchant does not record your PIN, which is normally simply sent along with the rest of the encrypted transaction to the banking center or network. Get used to ATM-style transactions. It's a happening thing. John Higdon | P. O. Box 7648 | +1 408 723 1395 john@bovine.ati.com | San Jose, CA 95150 | M o o !