*Source: News.com (
http://news.com.com/8301-10784_3-9740300-7.html)*
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Years ago, the method used by criminals to see whether a stolen credit card was still active was to charge a penny to the account. If it was authorized, the criminal could then purchase more substantial goods using that card. Credit card companies and banks have both gotten wiser. Today, they look for penny purchases as well as random gas station purchases, for example, as early warning flags. Well, the criminals may have outsmarted everyone this time.
According to a Symantec enterprise security blog (
http://www.symantec.com/enterprise/s...with_cha.html), criminals are now attempting to pay small amounts to various charities, including the Red Cross. The criminals can determine the value of the stolen card depending on the success or failure of the transaction. Active credit card accounts sell for higher values on the Internet black market.
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