Credit Card Bullhorn

In the past week, I’ve come in contact with a surprising handful of random folks with websites who either are sending credit card account information over clear email, or asked me directly for my account information over email in a handy form to just “Reply” to. Why don’t I go out on my back porch with a loudspeaker and just announce my credit card information over and over again. C’mon folks! Fraud is REAL!

With each individual or company that I came in contact with, learning that their practices were this way, I sternly warned them of how carelessly they are handling their clients sensitive data that email is clear as day for anybody to sniff, read, and pick up along the way, meaning who knows who just picked up that credit card information and stored it away (better charge those cards quick cause they’ll soon to be cancelled when the owners finds out he’s been frauded).

One company, of whom I will name, Eli Journals, is a publication center that puts out many newsletters on web design tips, as well as other software tricks. I received an email from them last week asking me to renew my subscription, and simply hit reply to their email and fill out the handy form at the bottom of the email and send it back. You guessed it, they asked clearly for my Credit Card Account and Exp. information. I was honestly quite appauled and wrote them a very stern warning and that I may just cancel my subscription because of the clear example of how lax they are in handling my personal data. I couldn’t believe it!

I’m amazed at how many start up websites all the way up to corporations are transmitting credit card information over email. You would think in this day in age people would know, but aparently people think they are invincible to fraud or something. Help the cause and warn those that you see in this act of the danger of account fraud involved with not keeping credit card data secure and under lock and key.

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