Debit card warning

To the Editor:

I feel it my moral and civic responsibility to raise awareness and warn the hundreds of other small businesses of a dangerous and potentially devastating situation.

On Christmas weekend, unknown hackers drained my bank account, and then some, making four separate purchases over a three-day spree, for airline tickets to or from the Arab Emirates in Dubai and Mumbai. I was only alerted to these fraudulent charges when the bank reopened on Monday, December 27. I was appalled to find out that something of this nature could happen as some, but not all, banks have a red flag system in place to hold suspicious transactions until verifying the charges with me.

My card was not lost or stolen. My Pin was safe and known only in the confines of my memory. I used this card as convenience when ordering supplies from trusted sites whom I’ve used numerous times before. However, my information was still compromised and because of whatever method these criminals used, there is little hope these funds can or will be recovered.

As I have just recently learned, business debit cards do not have the same protection as personal debit cards. A debit card issued for commercial, business or agricultural purposes are exempt from Mastercard’s Zero Liability policy for “unauthorized purchases.” My local bank, nor Mastercard, is under no legal obligation to reimburse these stolen funds. The merchant has up to 90 days to respond to the dispute.

I’ve learned that customer loyalty is no match for legal policy in the fine print and with so much attention on security measures, safeguards and assurances, thieves can always find a way around them.

Herein lies the warning. Talk with your bank about your risks and their policy on reimbursement of unauthorized transactions and keep your hard earned money safe.

Maryanne Jordan

Toe Tappin Jazz Studio