In an attempt to stop a scam in which third parties make unauthorized charges to credit cards thinking they were signing up for a loyalty rewards program, Visa is putting up a roadblock meant to keep information safer, CNet reports:

Retailers will no longer be able to allow third parties to charge a customer’s card without the card owner re-entering credit card information, Visa said Tuesday. This is Visa’s response to one of the biggest scandals to rock online retailing in years.

Last year, the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation launched an investigation after learning that thousands of consumers had complained about receiving mysterious credit card charges.

It’s never a good idea to give your credit card number out for anything other than a purchase from a business you trust.

Visa targets online marketing ‘scam’ [CNet]
(Thanks, tz!)

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