CTP FTW: Chasing The Points has discovered that you can use a certain type of ATM found at numerically named convenience stores to generate points and miles to your heart’s content. Some essential details:
- Despite an option to reload a prepaid card, our experience is that you can not load a Bluebird or Serve account
- Bill Pays cost $2
- Nationwide Visa Buxx can’t be used at all
- Gift cards with PIN can’t be used at all
- Paypal debit card works
- Max amount may be $1000/transaction
Go read the whole thing at CTP’s site, of course.
AN INTERESTING FACT ABOUT TRAVELOCITY AND EXPEDIA: Courtesy of Quora, I found this interesting tidbit:
The loading screens you see primarily on travel websites are artificial. Finding the cheapest flights, the best hotels, and whatever else you may be looking for takes less than a second. In fact, a lot of hard work goes into making all that information very easily accessible for the web app.
The loading screen exists because when the information is returned to the user as quickly as possible, he or she will often perceive it to be less valuable. It’s as if the server didn’t put much effort into really finding a great deal. No customer ever actually articulates that; but surveys, customer testing sessions, and most importantly conversion rates support the notion that when a seven or eight second loading screen tells the user that the numbers are being crunched just for this one query, the result is perceived to be more valuable.
CREDIT CARD FRAUD NO LONGER AS LUCRATIVE: Apparently social network fraud is more lucrative than credit card fraud. Who knew? Reuters reports:
In the latest twist, a computer virus widely used to steal credit card data, known as Zeus, has been modified to create bogus Instagram “likes” that can be used to generate buzz for a company or individual, according to cyber experts at RSA, the security division of EMC Corp.
These fake “likes” are sold in batches of 1,000 on Internet hacker forums, where cyber criminals also flog credit card numbers and other information stolen from PCs. According to RSA, 1,000 Instagram “followers” can be bought for $15 and 1,000 Instagram “likes” go for $30, whereas 1,000 credit card numbers cost as little as $6.
1,000 credit card numbers for $6? Even crime’s not personal anymore. You’re just a number to those crooks. Now criminals in my day, they cared about you as a person…
ANNUAL RETURNS ON LUXURY GOODS: From The Economist via The Big Picture… don’t you feel foolish for not going all in on luxury cars a few years ago?
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