Path: utzoo!telecom-request Date: Thu, 16 May 1991 07:05:51 GMT From: hullp@cogsci.Berkeley.EDU () Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: Re: AT&T Card PIN Disclosed Message-ID: Organization: Institute of Cognitive Studies, U.C. Berkeley Sender: Telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Approved: Telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 11, Issue 372, Message 5 of 8 Lines: 28 In article philip@beeblebrox.dle.dg.com (Philip Gladstone) writes: > I guess the difference is that banks are trying to protect against the > loss of significant amounts of money, whilst AT&T is trying to protect > against a theft of service (for which you haven't paid [yet]). I wish this were true. The card in question is a VISA + calling card and if the PIN got into the wrong hands hundreds of dollars in cash advances at just about any ATM could be lost in days. If you didn't know about this loss of security, you'd be liable for, I believe $50 but the hassle involved would be enormous. When I got my AT&T Universal card, I called them to request a form on which to request a PIN number that I could remember (the usual way is as you describe with nobody but the PIN-generating computer knowing what your PIN is). The clerk said she could give me one over the phone. I was totally astounded and a bit pissed but ... it was very convenient I must admit as I could go out and use the thing in ATM's right away instead of waiting for a new PIN authorization which takes at least 10 days the other way. Philip V. Hull INTERNET: hullp@cogsci.berkeley.edu BITNET: hullp@cogsci.berkeley.bitnet UUCP: ucbvax!cogsci!hullp OR: ucbvax!cogsci.berkeley.edu!hullp