www.CostaRicaTicas.com

Srilm I like your idea of using a traveling email address. And yes I will be using web based email just to keep in touch with my home.
Thanks for the suggestion.

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Softbob

There is nothing either good or bad
but thinking makes it so.
HAMLET

I would say to tread cautiously. I use Bank of America, and I had them send me one of the credit-card sized securepass devices, so in order to login to online banking, I have to push a button on the card, and input the number on their website - I would say that you would safe if your bank offers something like this. If your bank only offers a static login, then I would not risk it. Even CR banks are issuing securepass to their customers, so I would assume your bank offers the same.

Puravida29, I have not heard about this secure card. I will find out about it at once.
Thanks for the tip.

_________________
Softbob

There is nothing either good or bad
but thinking makes it so.
HAMLET

Brother Isra123 and others--Here's how and why the SecureCard works: http://www.securecardtechnologies.com/ Tough to see how it could be compromized.
BTW, MSN's HotMail now allows you to generate and use a single-use code. The world is getting seriously weird if I'm recommending something Microsoft offers but there you go.

_________________
"A man accustomed to hear only the echo of his own sentiments, soon bars all the common avenues of delight, and has no part in the general gratification of mankind"--Dr. Johnson
"Amen, brother"-ED

JazzboCR thanks for the information. I must see if my bank "Chase" offers this . I would be willing to pay a norminal fee to get it.
I share your dim view of Microsoft. I hope to move over to the Mac in a couple of months and have nothing whatever to do with PCs again.

_________________
Softbob

There is nothing either good or bad
but thinking makes it so.
HAMLET

JB, actually I believe what PuraVida was talking about with BoA is somewhat different from what is decribed on that SecureCard website, though the technology is most likely closely related. With the BoA system (which they call SafePass), you get a special code (valid for only 10 minutes) that can be sent directly to your cellphone (or other mobile device) via text message. The mobile version is completely free (except for any TM charges from your cell carrier if you don't have unlimited) and does not require any special cards or other hardware. You just sign up for it like you did for on-line banking. The possible downside comes if you don't have your phone with you (or get charged extra for TM's) as you then have to call their 800 number everytime you have to use your card (or you could just temporarily activate or de-activate your SafePass service as needed). The also offer a special SafePass card which sounds more like the SecurePass technology described in your link. With that you always have the means to access the special code because it appears right on your card. They do charge a one-time fee of $20 for the special card but that seems like it would be well worth it if you think you will regularly need to use your credit card number on-line over public networks or plan to travel with your card to places where it might easily get stolen. What the technology won't really protect you from is some waiter quickly running your card to make an extra purchase while taking it back to charge you for your meal. That's why, if I use a card anywhere, I generally prefer to do hand to the person right at the counter where I can keep the card and what is being done with it in sight at all times, rather than trust that they aren't doing anything shady with it while I wait for them to return with it to my table.

Here is the link for info on the BoA system: https://www.bankofamerica.com/privacy/Control.do?body=privacysecur_faqs#sp_q1
I happen to be a BoA customer. With a quick check, I couldn't find anything on the Chase Bank website that sounded anything remotely like SecureCard or SafePass, but that doesn't mean they don't have something similar. Isra's best bet there would just be to call his bank and ask.

What I'm talking about is their safepass device. Yes, they do offer the service to text you a pin code, but I have the actual card:

http://www.bankofamerica.com/privacy/in ... t_safepass

Maybe I'm confused but even the Bank of America SafePass card device appears to be slightly different from the SecureCard described and shown on the site that Brother JB provided earlier. The SecureCard seems to be a feature (an "electrophoretic screen") that appears to be added to your regular card (in much the same way they've added other security enhancements to cards in the past, such as holographic images to help prevent counterfeiting and even photos of the cardholder to help prevent misuse by others). Bank of America's SafePass card is described by them as "wallet-sized" which suggests it is about the same size and maybe thickness as a regular credit card, but it doesn't show your regular cc# or name and also has a special button that you have to press in order to generate the token code (which I didn't see on the SecureCard). That leads me to think that it is still some sort of seperate device that you need to use along with your regular card.

So, does this actually replace your original card or is it a seperate device that you have to carry in order to use it along with your credit card? If it is part of your card, what is to stop a thief or waiter from simply pressing the button themselves in order to get the code they need to execute a transaction? If it is a seperate card that you have to carry around with you, then isn't it likely to be stolen alongside your card?

The one area where I could see this technology could clearly protect you is in situations where someone has merely stolen your card number INFO (including the 3 digit CSC or CVD that appears on the back of your card), but not the card (or seperate device) ITSELF.

I believe both these devices depending on the owner having physical possession; these devices are to prevent reusing the number, as Brother Prolijo said. If the physical card is missing, a phone call will prevent such misuse of data--the bigger problem (because you aren't aware of it) is stealing the data. On airplanes for example they scan into a hard drive then download later to effect the charge (I could be wrong in this). That one-time code however generated sounds effective.

_________________
"A man accustomed to hear only the echo of his own sentiments, soon bars all the common avenues of delight, and has no part in the general gratification of mankind"--Dr. Johnson
"Amen, brother"-ED

JB, you're raising a whole new issue about the swiping of data off the card by a reader but your post fails to address any of the questions I raised in my last post.

1) Is the BoA SafePass card a seperate and distinct device from your regular credit card or do they send you a replacement credit card with the SafePass technology built right into it?

2) If either the SafePass card or all the other SecureCard products offered by other banks are your actual credit card, then what is to stop a thief who steals the card or even just a waiter "borrowing" the card to run up your meal bill back at the register from reading a new token code and running up a seperate charge on their own? Also, I understand that you can always make a phone call to prevent further use of your card once you discover it stolen or missing, but how is that any different from what you can already do with a regular credit card?

3) If it is a seperate card that you have to carry around with you, then isn't it likely to be stolen alongside your card? I mean, even if they are seperate pieces of plastic, if you don't keep the card that generates the tokens along with you whenever you use your card then you won't easily be able to use your card either, and if you do keep the card with you and you get robbed the thief will have the token generating card along with all the credit cards you may be carrying and all your cash.

The only advantage of this technology that I can see, not that it isn't a very significant advantage, is to prevent LATER use of your credit by someone who has copied the data off the card, but no longer has the actual card and its token generating screen.

One CRT bother posted one time that every one of the La Amistad public computers had a key logger program installed on it (which he removed).