Security Breach Could Expose _40 Million Users_ to Fraud

The worst phishing/hacking case ever to date!

By JOE BEL BRUNO Associated Press Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- A security breach of customer information at a credit card-processing company could expose to fraud up to 40 million cardholders of multiple brands, MasterCard International Inc. said Friday.

The credit card giant said its security division detected multiple instances of fraud that tracked back to CardSystems Solutions Inc. of Tucson, Ariz., which processes transactions for banks and merchants.

MasterCard said in a news release late Friday afternoon that it was notifying its card-issuing banks of the problem.

CardSystems was hit by a computer virus that captured customer data for the purpose of fraud, said company spokeswoman Sharon Gamsin. The FBI was investigating.

-

[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I asked Lisa Minter to scan our news wires for a full report on this, the largest phishing/hacking fraud to date anywhere ... 40 million credit card users. Her report appears elsewhere in this issue. PAT]