Call centre threat to personal details

Posted in 'Identity Theft' by Richard Catlin

02 November 2009

Call centres that routinely record conversations between customers and customer service representatives could be placing consumers at increased risk of identity theft – just as the latest figures show that Card Not Present (CNP) fraud fell for the first time ever in the first 6 months of 2009 by 18%.

The Payment Card Industry (PCI) Data Security Standard requires call centres to delete any sensitive information from the call records before storing them. This includes the removal of CV2 numbers (the 3 digit code on the back of your card) and full credit card numbers.

Despite this, a recent survey by security firm Veritape found that only 3% of the call centres they interviewed complied with the regulations. Of the rest, 39% said they were unaware of the guidelines and a further 11% admitted to simply ignoring them.

The sophisticated methods employed by hackers mean that audio files are vulnerable to interception, even if encrypted.

The 18% drop in CNP fraud losses in the first six months of this year – to £134 million - was the first fall since records began.

You can reduce your chances of falling victim to identity theft by using our Free Identity Theft Check Service. We’ll show you if any elements of your lifestyle or day-to-day habits put you at risk, and what you can do to stay safe.

It’s completely free, and takes just a couple of minutes.

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