Affinion Security Center of Norwalk has introduced a new identity theft protection service, Card Patrol, which has been adopted by more than 100 financial institutions.
“We believe that Card Patrol is a way for financial institutions to encourage account holders to utilize online banking by signaling that they take security very seriously and have proactive solutions to address any issues,” said Tom Rusin, CEO and president of Affinion Group, North America.Â
Last year, the Federal Trade Commission received more than 800,000 consumer fraud and identity theft complaints. The total number of identity theft victims reached 15 million in 2006 according to research firm Gartner Inc.
According to Rusin, the benefits provided through the new system are available to millions of consumers nationwide through national, regional, and community banks and credit unions.Â
“By helping account holders fight identity theft, these financial institutions are able to enhance loyalty and trust, and provide additional reassurance about the safety of their account holders”™ identities,” said Rusin.
Affinion says that the Card Patrol account holders have real-time monitoring of the chat rooms where offenders buy and sell debit and credit card numbers to help prevent fraudulent charges before they occur. Accounts can register 10 cards and receive e-notification of suspicious activity associated with any of their registered credit or debit card numbers. Consumers are also notified when other personal information appears online.
“Card Patrol can help financial institutions instill confidence in online banking and build account holder loyalty,” said Rusin.