VISA CARD COMPROMISE
In June 2005, Box Elder County Credit Union received an Alert Bulletin from VISA notifying us of the possibility that a number of VISA accounts may have been compromised. A VISA account is considered compromised when a hacker or dishonest employee acquires access into a program or computer that stores VISA account information. Recently hackers have gotten into large databases of an Atlanta based card processor and gained access to thousands of card holders account information. (A card processor usually processes VISA transactions for literally hundreds of merchants for purchases made both online and in stores.) VISA notified us that a few BECCU VISA account numbers were included the compromised database. We have sent a letter to all members who may have had a compromised VISA account number. We have blocked those cards and reissued new cards and PIN’s.
In light of this mass compromise, here are some important things to keep in mind:
1. Just because a card was compromised does not mean that there has been fraud on the account. It just means that there is just a potential for fraud.
2. Please know that the compromised accounts are not a result of BECCU’s system being hacked into. The compromise did not occur in BECCU’s system.
3. This highly publicized card compromise may also increase the potential for scams targeting cardholders. Crooks may take advantage of the situation with Phishing scams - trying to get VISA card, personal or checking account information over the phone, internet or mail. We will NEVER contact you and request your personal information.
