I saw a documentary recently on television, in which an FBI agent showed how a new electronic data-scanning and storing device enabled waiters or retailers to get personal details from a credit card and sell that information to criminals.
Data which could be obtained by swiping the credit card included the card-holder's full name, home address and phone number, identity document numbers and income.
Does anyone know if all that information is included on credit cards in Hong Kong? If so, how many card owners are aware of this? I cannot understand why it is necessary to have so much information on the card in the first place. Surely all that would be needed to satisfy a restaurant that the card was genuine, would be specified code numbers issued by the card-issuing bank, which would be displayed when the card was swiped.
ANGELA HO Kowloon
