There are various vendors all around the world who do not abide by federal laws. Such vendors allow criminals to steal credit card information along with the number from receipts. In case, too much information about your card is printed on the receipt, it might be possible for the criminals to get your credit card number easily. In case, an identity thief collects multiple receipts that contain different digits from a credit card number, it might be possible for them to put them together and form an almost complete credit card number. Also, if a receipt shows the card expiration date, the identity thieves can use this information for fraud and unethical transactions too.
However, in order to protect the consumers from various kinds of fraud and theft regarding credit cards, there are laws. FACTA or Fair and Accurate Transactions Act was passed in the year 2003. It was an amendment to the Fair Credit Reporting Act. FACTA regulates the amount of information that can be printed on credit card transaction receipts.
What are the various FACTA rules for credit card receipt printing?
According to the FACTA rules, the vendors cannot print more than the last five digits of your credit card number. In case any other digits of the credit card number are shown, even if they are five in number, the vendor violates the FACTA rules. Some examples of FACTA number printing violations are:
- 2222 11** **** 3333
- **** **** 3333 4444
- **** **** **22 3333
According to the FACTA rules of credit card information printing, a vendor cannot print any information regarding the expiration date of a credit card. The expiration date of credit card is used for the purpose of authenticating online transactions. Some examples of FACTA expiration date violations are:
- 01/17
- 01201
- 01/**
- **/17
- 2017/01
The rules set by FACTA are upheld using a process known as truncation. The process of truncation replaces the digits from the credit card information with symbols such as # or *. It is done solely for protecting the consumer data from the identity thieves. The symbols used in truncation acts as the placeholders in the credit card number information in the system and also protects the consumer information on the receipts printed by the vendors. The FACTA rules apply for all types of electronic receipt printing along with those printed at retail shops, restaurants and at kiosks. However, the FACTA rules do not apply for the written receipts.
What are you supposed to do if you think your credit card data has been stolen?
In case you feel that your credit card data has been stolen because of a vendor who printed too much of the information about your card, you have two types of issues that you can consider for going forward.
Firstly, if you think that your identity has been stolen already, it is the best time to begin with credit monitoring. Make sure that you report any type of error or issue of theft from your card to the primary credit card bureaus. Be cautious and keep an eye on all the bank accounts that you have for flagging the instances of your identity theft immediately.
Secondly, you can file for a legal lawsuit. If you are mindful enough that your information has been stolen because of excessive information printing on the receipt by the vendor, you can opt for a legal claim. In spite of the fact that the companies and vendors are bound to follow the FACTA rules or guidelines about information printing on receipts, it just takes one vendor to print more than the truncated information for having all our information exposed to the thieves. Before throwing away the printed receipts, make sure that you check only the truncated information is visible on it.
Even if your identity has not been stolen, you can still file legal allegation against a company for printing excessive information on the receipts. Many of the consumers are already taking legal action against various companies.
Did Major League Baseball stadiums violate the FACTA rules or guidelines?
Many of the consumers have alleged that the Dodgers Stadium in Los Angeles along with the other Major League Baseball stadiums all across the country violated the FACTA rules and guidelines. In the year 2018, a man filed a lawsuit against Major League Baseball after his ticket receipt contained his card expiration date along with the last four digits of his card.
In case you think that your identity has been stolen and want to file a lawsuit against a vendor, you can contact Shamis & Gentile, P.A.
Is it possible for someone to get your credit card number from a receipt?
It is possible for criminals to steal credit card numbers from receipts. The main cause for this includes vendors who do not follow federal laws. It is possible for identity thieves and fraudsters to get your credit card number from a receipt if too much information is printed on it. An instance that would clarify this scenario would include, an identity thief getting his/her hands on numerous receipts that contain different digits of a particular credit card. If this happens, the identity thief might be able to piece all of the information together and make sense of what the actual credit card number is or at least get a partial idea of the same. Moreover, if the expiration date of the card is being shown on the receipt and it falls into the hands of an identity thief, they might mis-utilize this information to authenticate fraudulent transactions that they carry out against that card.
However, fortunately for the customers, there are several rigorous laws that have been placed to protect consumers against identity theft and fraudulent transactions carried against credit cards. The Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act, also known as the FACTA had been passed in the year 2003, as an amendment to the Fair Credit Reporting Act. According to the laws set by FACTA, the amount of information that is eligible to be shown on credit card receipts printed electronically has been limited and anything that is more than the allowed amount is deemed illegal.
What are the rules dictated by FACTA?
According to the laws set by FACTA, vendors are prohibited from showing more than the last 5 digits of a credit card number on the receipts electronically printed by them. If any of the other digits are shown, even if the total number of visible digits is five, the vendor might be violating FACTA. It has got to be only the last 5 digits of the credit card. Some examples of violations under FACTA have been shown below:
- Example 1- 1111 22** **** 4444
- Example 2-1111 **** **** 4444
- Example 3-**** **** ** 444444
According to the laws under FACTA the printing of any information, pertaining to the expiration date of the credit card on the electronically printed receipts is strictly prohibited. This information as has been explained above, might be used by identity thieves to authenticate fraudulent transactions and cause credit card fraud. Some examples that relate to expiry date violations under the FACTA laws include:
- Example 1– EXP: 03/17
- Example 2– EXP: 03/2017
- Example 3– EXP: 032017
- Example 4-EXP: 0317
- Example 5– Expires: 0317
- Example 6-Exp Date: 03/17
- Example 7-Exp Date: 03/31/17
- Example 8– EXPIRY: 03/17
- Example 9– 03/17
- Example 10– 0317
- Example 11– Date 03/**
- Example 12– **/17
- Example 13– 2017/03
A process that is known by the name of truncation upholds the rules dictated by FACTA. As revealed by Tech Target Network, truncation basically refers to the process whereby the digits in a credit card get replaced by symbols like ‘#’ or ‘*’ in order to provide the consumer with protection towards his data. These symbols are responsible for acting as placeholders within a computer system, while also being key elements responsible for hiding consumer information on electronically printed receipts. These rules are not only limited to electronically printed receipts at a vendor’s shop, but to any electronically printed receipt. Even the ones that get printed at the kiosk falls under the purview of these rules put into place by FACTA. These rules however, do not apply to any kind of written receipt.
What steps should you take if you fear that you credit card data has been stolen?
In the case you are a person who believes that the information pertaining to your credit card has been stolen owing to a company having provided too much information on an electronically printed receipt, you need to consider two grave situations that you might be facing as you move forward.
First and foremost, if you believe that your identity has already been stolen, now is the perfect time to start with monitoring your own credit. Make sure that you monitor your credit closely and take note of any error or issue that might be related to your credit card usage and report the same to the major credit bureaus. Make sure that you maintain keen scrutiny on all bank accounts that you have and flag any instance that might seem like an identity theft or fraudulent transaction.
Apart from being aware of the fact that there might have been a potential identity theft of your information, you may also be eligible to claim for compensation on grounds of too much information of your credit card being printed on a receipt. Although FACTA has placed severe and strict laws regarding the responsibilities and permissions that companies enjoy regarding printing information pertaining to your credit card, all it takes is a single flaw by some company in printing one extra digit more than the permissible truncated amount, for your credit card information to get exposed to identity thieves.
Therefore, make sure that before you throw away the receipt, you have a close look at it in order to make sure that the number of digits printed on it coincides with the truncated information allowed under FACTA. If a company violates this law, they can be held accountable under FACTA, even after your identity has been stolen. More and more consumers are coming out to take legal action against several companies for having violated laws and printed more information than allowed on credit card receipts.
What is the truth behind Major League Baseball Teams having violated FACTA?
A number of consumers have alleged that the Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, as well as other stadiums of prominent Major League Baseball Teams have violated the laws stated by FACTA, by having printed more than the truncated amount of information on the electronically issued receipts issued by them.
In October of 2018, a class action lawsuit was filed against Los Angeles Dodgers and Major League Baseball, after a receipt for four tickets that he bought contained the expiry date of his card as well as the last four digits of his credit card number. The printing of the expiration date on the receipt was a violation as per the FACTA laws.
Opt for a free investigation for credit card receipt class action lawsuits
In the case that you have with yourself a receipt, contract or invoice from a vendor or retailer, whereby more than the last five digits of your credit card number, or debit card number, or any segment or portion relating to the expiration date of your credit or debit card has been printed, you are eligible to file a class action lawsuit against the vendor or merchant. Contact Shamis & Gentile, P.A. to opt for a free investigation regarding the matter. If the situation turns out to be as potent as you think it to be, you can also avail the brilliant legal services from them and proceed towards claiming compensation for the identity theft and damages that you might have faced owing to this violation.
