11,000 Norwegian credit cards blocked

Hacker attacks in the U.S. is spreading. Now also Norwegian banks have their cards replaced after the biggest hacker scandal ever.

Teller AS, which is Norway's largest provider of payment services, publishes these days letter to 1800 Norwegian Eurocard and Mastercard customers:

"Dear card holder, we suspect that your credit card has been copied by unauthorized persons. There is therefore a risk that your card can be misused. Against this background, we are forced to replace your credit card."

11 000 Norwegian Visa customers can expect a similar message soon.

Blocking of cards comes due, the newspaper refers to as today's biggest hacker scandal in the banking and credit cards. Heartland Payment Systems, one of the largest U.S. companies in payment transactions, has previously issued warnings that their systems were vulnerable to hackers, and thus vulnerable. Now the Norwegians are also affected by the intrusion of Heartland Payment Systems.

Heartland otherwise considered as having the most advanced security system approved in the U.S. called PCI, and thus had direct access to the transaction system in Visa and Mastercard.

"We have a list of 11 000 Norwegian credit card customers who, due to Heartland case currently monitored 24 hours a day," says public relations at Teller AS, Anders Bigseth.