Tag: credit card security

For the first time in 8 years of online transactions, I’ve had a company contact me to inform me that my personal information including credit card number had been compromised.

From Cochlear Corp:

It appears that a professional “hacker” has accessed customer information within our web store at www.cochlearamericas.com, Although we do not yet have all of the facts, it appears that the following customer information has been compromised: first name, last name, credit card number, credit card expiration date, shipping or billing address, email address and phone number. We have no evidence that the “hacker” intends to use this information to commit credit card fraud, but for your safety, we must assume the worst until we learn more.

To protect yourself from the possibility of credit card fraud, we recommend that you immediately contact the company that issued the credit card you used to make purchases at our web store. Tell them that your account may have been compromised and that you wish to cancel it.

Now, you might say that it sucks to be me and overlook this… But how broad and wide this security compromise is being downplayed a bit. Cochlear manufactures the Cochlear Implant — a “bionic ear” that allows the deaf to hear. Cochlear is also the only sales company for several pieces of support hardware and accessories for COchlear Implant users as well as ABI users (which I am).

I canceled my credit card last night, and no telling how many have to do so today.