Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!usc!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!sequent!muncher.sequent.com!mjb
From: mjb@sequent.com
Newsgroups: comp.org.eff.talk
Subject: Re: ANYONE CAN FIND MY CREDIT CARD BALANCE & LAST PMT
Keywords: Credit Cards, Privacy
Message-ID: <1991Apr9.055558.22602@sequent.com>
Date: 9 Apr 91 05:55:58 GMT
References: <959@camco.Celestial.COM> <24095@well.sf.ca.us> <1991Apr9.020427.26222@Think.COM>
Sender: news@sequent.com (News on Muncher)
Organization: Sequent Computer Systems
Lines: 19

In article <1991Apr9.020427.26222@Think.COM> barmar@think.com (Barry Margolin) writes:
"In article <24095@well.sf.ca.us> bparr@well.sf.ca.us (Barry L. Parr) writes:
">The AT&T Universal card offers an 800 number that will give you the 
">balance on your Visa, using your Zip code as a PIN.  This is the
">next best thing to no security at all.
"
"That seems crazy to me.  The Universal card already has a secret PIN
"associated with it, to be used when using it as a calling card.  So why
"do they use a different, and easily-determined, PIN for balance
"information?

Yeah, that's what I thought, too.  I send them a paper letter suggesting
that they use the PIN instead of the zip code to authenticate the user.
No response.  Maybe I don't charge enough stuff to get customer service.
Maybe I should charge even *less* stuff in the future.  I like the concept,
though.

Matthew.
[mjb@sequent.com]