Washington State Department of Financial Institutions

Consumer Alert

Consumer Alert: Credit Card Numbers Stolen

What happened?

Hackers infiltrated the computers of CardSystems Solutions – a credit card processing center for MasterCard International. As many as 40 million credit card numbers may have been stolen, including American Express, MasterCard, Visa, Discover and other cards.

NOTE:

- Social security numbers or other items of personal information are not at risk.

- Be aware that your bank or credit union may choose to place a temporary freeze on your credit card account to limit chances of unauthorized use.

What is MC International doing?

MasterCard International is notifying member financial institutions of possible fraud risks.

What should you do if your card is lost or stolen?

Consumers have strong protection if unauthorized charges are made on their credit cards. Typically in the U.S., cardholders are protected from unauthorized transactions on their credit card accounts.

  1. Call the issuing bank or credit union right away. Act fast – the sooner you report the loss, the more likely you will limit your liability if someone uses your card without your permission. Once reported, you are not liable for any further charges on the account.
  2. Follow up in writing. Send your bank or credit union a letter to document that your credit card has been lost or stolen.
  3. Review your monthly bills carefully and report unauthorized use. Keep an eye on your statements for unauthorized charges.
  4. Routinely check your credit report. Although you won't be liable for reported fraudulent charges on your credit card, there could be a chance of risk to your credit record. To order a copy, contact:

Where can you get more information about credit card safety?

The following federal agencies are responsible for enforcing federal laws that govern credit card transactions. Questions concerning a particular card issuer should be directed to the enforcement agency responsible for that issuer.

Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System
Regulates state-chartered banks that are members of the Federal Reserve System, bank holding companies, and branches of foreign banks:
Division of Consumer and Community Affairs, Stop 801
20th and C Streets, NW
Washington, DC 20551
202-452-3693 www.federalreserve.gov

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
Regulates state-chartered banks that are not members of the Federal Reserve System:
Division of Compliance and Consumer Affairs
550 17th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20429
877-ASK-FDIC (275-3342) toll-free
www.fdic.gov

National Credit Union Administration
Regulates federally chartered credit unions:
Office of Public and Congressional Affairs
1775 Duke Street
Alexandria, VA 22314-3428
703-518-6330
www.ncua.gov

Office of the Comptroller of the Currency
Regulates banks with "national" in the name or "N.A." after the name:
Office of the Ombudsmann
Customer Assistance Group
1301 McKinney Street, Suite 3710
Houston, TX 77010

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