Released on = May 2, 2007, 6:53 pm

Press Release Author = Angela Frantz / Zug.com\'s Media Shower, Inc.

Industry = Financial

Press Release Summary = ZUG.com, the world's oldest comedy Web site, today launches
a new visa credit card fraud protection online prank that uncovers yet another
credit industry issue for those who pay with plastic.

Press Release Body = Boston, MA May 3, 2007 -- Zug.com challenges the "identity
theft" protection offered by many major credit card fraud protection companies is
remarkably easy to fool-and credit card identity theft providers seem utterly
unprepared on how to respond to break-ins, even when directly confronted by a
"thief."

"This all started when I received an offer in the mail that promised to 'protect my
good name' for $9.95 a month," says Sir John Hargrave, editor-in-chief of ZUG.com.
"The funny thing was that they sent the offer to a fake name, one of the 'dummy
accounts' that I set up to catch the credit card companies at precisely this kind of
behavior."

Hargrave signed up for the service, then tried to set off credit card fraud alarms
by behaving as criminally as possible: going on a massive shopping spree to
designer outlets, purchasing a quarter-ton of chemical fertilizer (enough to blow up
a city block), and signing his credit card receipts with the word "Stolen." When
Hargrave directly confronted the credit card company in a phone call, there was no
acknowledgement of their mistake - only nervous laughter. (A recording of the call
is available from ZUG.com.)

The visa credit card fraud protection online prank proved that it is still amazingly
easy to create a false identity, even when consumers have purchased "piece of mind"
extra security from their merchant identity theft credit card prevention provider.
The credit card identity theft providers seem ill-prepared to deal with even a
comedian from Boston, much less a sophisticated ring of identity thieves.

"Because we're a comedy site, people take our investigations with a grain of salt,"
Hargrave admits. "But if this were 20/20, they'd have Morley Safer all over this
story. Or at least Andy Rooney."

This is the third credit card prank pulled off by Sir John. In his original "Credit
Card Prank," he forged fake signatures to credit card receipts ranging from "Mariah
Carey" to "Zeus," just to see if anyone would notice. (No one did.) In "The Visa
Prank," he proved how easy it is to break into a credit card account over the phone
by tricking Visa customer service representatives with fake "mother's maiden names."


His credit card pranks have been read over six million times, discussed on hundreds
of blogs, and covered in mainstream media from Sacramento to Sydney. ZUG.com has
launched their newest highly-researched credit card identity theft prank to make
journalists and online editors aware of the dangers of trusting credit card
companies with your identity.

When asked how much longer he plans to keep pulling new credit card pranks, Hargrave
was uncharacteristically brief. "Until something gets done about it," he said.

The full visa credit card fraud protection online prank is available here:
http://www.zug.com/pranks/credit-cards/

About ZUG.com

ZUG.com, the world's oldest comedy Web site, has been serving up hilarious viral
marketing content to pranks since 1995. The success of the site recently caught the
attention of Citadel Press, which released PRANK THE
MONKEY:(http://www.PrankTheMonkey.com) THE ZUG BOOK OF PRANKS, which immediately
became an Amazon.com bestseller. ZUG.com works with clients to provide targeted
product optimization to custom viral marketing online.



Web Site = http://www.zug.com/pranks/credit-cards/

Contact Details = Zug.com Contact Info:

Angela Frantz
Media Shower, Inc.
http://www.zug.com
800 Boylston Street, Ste 990586
Boston, MA 02199-9998
USA
angela@zug.com