Contributed photo
Contributed photo
U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) asked the FBI on Thursday to explain why it revised a recent consumer-protection advisory early last week concerning credit and debit smart-card security technology and raised the specter of possible outside pressure from the banking industry.
Durbin questioned whether the FBI is taking the appropriate steps to protect consumers and deter payment-card fraud involving lost or stolen cards.
The FBI released a consumer protection advisory on Oct. 8 stating that new debit and credit cards containing microchip security technology are more susceptible to fraud if they're not verified with a Personal Identification Number (PIN) number. The agency later adjusted the warning, removing its preference for PIN numbers vs. signatures.
Durbin raised questions about the alteration in the advisory amid alleged pressure from the banking industry in a letter to FBI Director James Comey.
“The revisions to the FBI advisory raise significant questions about whether current (Europay MasterCard Visa) security technology is adequately protecting consumers and whether the FBI is taking appropriate steps to warn against and deter payment card fraud involving lost or stolen cards,” Durbin said. “Did representatives of the American Bankers Association contact the FBI between the issuance of the October 8 advisory and the release of the revised advisory? If so, did the American Bankers Association request that the advisory’s recommendations for consumers and merchants to use PINs be removed?”
Durbin's letter contains eight questions about the details of the decision to change the advisory, as well as the FBI's overall oversight of credit and debit card security.
The senator asked the FBI to respond by Nov. 15.
Alerts Sign-up