ePassPorte Security Flaws Have Customers Worried
 

Online Gambling: ePassPorte Security Flaws Have Customers Worried
Following NETeller and MyCitadel puling out of the US online gambling market, nearly every third party payment processor did the same this past month. When all the dust cleared, it seemed as if only one remained: ePassporte.

But Gambling911.com readers be forewarned.

We addressed a serious breach in security just yesterday with NETeller whereby monies have been getting transferred from unsuspecting customers accounts without their consent (not to mention these same customers have zero ability to transfer said monies themselves since NETeller has locked all US accounts).

Now comes word of a similar problem with ePassporte.

A concern Gambling911 reader relayed his story to us:

"I recently had over USD$2000 withdrawn from my ePassporte account which I did not authorize.

"Four unauthorized transactions occurred in Bangkok, yet I am in Toronto and I have never lost my ePassporte card, which is also secured with a PIN.

"I have called ePassporte several times, and I get ****** around with my calls being transferred back and forth to their Customer Service departments in Toronto and Los Angeles. Yeah, Los Angeles.

"If I knew these guys operated in the United States I would have never opened an account with them!

"I was told by ePassporte that it would take up to 4 months to investigate, and now my e-mails and phone calls go unanswered, with the following message hosted on their site:

'Due to unusually high call and email volumes, you may experience extended hold times when calling us or there may be a delay receiving a response to your email inquiry. We apologize for the inconvenience. We are exerting all efforts so that we may attend to your phone calls and emails as soon as possible. Your calls and emails will be answered in the order they are received. We appreciate your patience and cooperation. Thank you for choosing ePassporte." '

"Any iGaming comanies that continue to accept U.S business should be held accountable for the electronic processors they do business with. I truly believe that the U.S ban on iGaming is protectionist policy and completely wrong, but nonsense like this only justifies it!"

Lo and behold! We got the same message when Gambling911.com attempted to contact ePassporte.

Gambling911.com readers must be made aware that the third party processing sector - as it relates to online gambling - has been and may always be among the sleaziest. Throughout our ten year involvement in online gambling, there have been well over a dozen documented cases of third party processors (which include third world Western Union agents, we might add) who have fled with funds or froze them. Mostly, in the past, the online gambling operators themselves have had to deal with these unscrupulous processors. But with the advent of PayPal (we used to get around one security scam email a week pertaining to this company) the customers (specifically in the online gambling community) are more at risk.

Gambling911.com even shied away from promoting NETeller as a method of depositing and withdrawing funds over the past two years - a smart decision in hindsight.

Credit cards, Western Union and Gift Cards appear to be the safest way for online gamblers to be protected while playing poker and casino games online.

We are hearing a lot about YouTeller.com, which is set to debut in March. But unless gamblers themselves are offered protection and operators are prepared to assume risk, Gambling911.com will make it a point to educate its readers about any risks to players.

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Christopher Costigan, Gambling911.com

http://www.gambling911.com/Online-Ga...ws-021407.html

interesting read

hmm interesting.

damn you'd think after all of these complaints they might invest in a decent customer service team

not good news at all.