[Happy2BMe]

We move one step closer to that "National ID System" and three steps backward with social security numbers being sold for cheap on the street corners of Miami and L.A. to illegal aliens seeking identities in America . .

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CardSystems was hit by a computer virus that captured customer data for the purpose of fraud, said company spokeswoman Sharon Gamsin. The FBI was investigating.

MasterCard, which said about 14 million of its own cards were exposed, said it was giving CardSystems a "limited amount of time to demonstrate compliance with security requirements."

[devolve]

I recall a (very) recent FR thread - illegal aliens caught in drug business

Charges included 5 years and a $250,000 fine per offense per criminal for use of fraudulent federal documents

Wouldn*t that also apply to SS cards illegally obtained and used by illegal aliens across the board?

[snowsislander]

We move one step closer to that "National ID System" and three steps backward with social security numbers being sold for cheap on the street corners of Miami and L.A. to illegal aliens seeking identities in America . .

While these credit card numbers could be used as part of id theft, they are far more likely to be used for normal fraudulent "no [credit] card presented" transactions which a national id system would do nothing for.

I think Card Systems Inc is only handling transaction information (their web page suggests that they are just a payments processor), which would consist of the card number, the amount of the payment, an identifier for the transaction/authorization, and maybe a few other items.

To carry real identity theft, more information would be necessary, such as Social Security numbers and current residence addresses. (They may have the latter, but I don't think they would need the former -- though who knows what they are being provided, even unnecessarily, by the credit card companies or other entities?)