Javelin: U.S. Credit Card Issuers Dramatically Improve Customer Fraud Detection

Javelin's Fifth Annual Card Issuers` Identity Safety Scorecard Identifies Bank
of America, Discover and Chase As Leaders in Interactive Customer Security
Capabilities
SAN FRANCISCO--(Business Wire)--
Javelin Strategy & Research (www.javelinstrategy.com) today released its Fifth
AnnualCard Issuers` Identity Safety Scorecard
(http://www.javelinstrategy.com/lp/IssuersScoreCardBrochure.html), which
analyzes the top 25 U.S. card issuers` capabilities for protecting customers
from identity fraud. To compile the report, Javelin incorporated data from
annual household, consumer, and issuer surveys using Javelin's Prevention,
Detection and Resolution criteria to accurately reflect customer demands and
trends in how issuers protect against fraud.

The Javelin scorecard is a structured assessment of each issuer`s fraud
protection services. The scorecard ranks features that best empower two major
victims of the nation`s $48B identity fraud problem - cardholders and issuers -
showing how to turn the tables on a worrying method of crime.

"Identity fraud is a crime that creates economic hardship for both financial
institutions and their customers," said James Van Dyke Javelin Founder and
President. "Card issuers can turn the tide by implementing customer-driven
architectures that give consumers and business owners what they crave: more
control over their finances."

Within the Safety Scorecard, Javelin identified the following financial
institutions as Best of Class Winners:

* Overall - Bank of America (Discover finished second, JP Morgan Chase finished
third)
* Prevention - BB&T Bank (Bank of America finished second, PNC Bank finished
third)
* Detection - Discover Financial Services (Citibank, First National Bank of
Omaha and JPMorgan Chase tied for second)
* Resolution - Bank of America (Barclays, Discover, JPMorgan Chase and State
Farm tied for second)

The report also analyzed methods in use at American Express, Capital One, Credit
One, Fifth Third, GE Money, HSBC, Navy Federal Credit Union, Nordstrom, Pentagon
Federal Credit Union, RBS, SunTrust, Target, Town North Bank, U.S.A.A., U.S.
Bank, and Wells Fargo.

Key Findings - Card Issuers` Identity Safety Scorecard:

* Issuers have also made significant improvements in fraud prevention but both
prevention and detection capabilities lag in comparison to after-the-fact
resolution.
* More banks provide account-related alerts and limits via mobile devices, but
more improvement is needed now.
* By offering integrated credit monitoring and other identity protective
services, banks can further partner with consumers to help them protect and
manage their finances.

"Since first conducting the Safety Scorecard five years ago, we have found
year-over-year that issuers have excelled in fraud resolution," said Mary
Monahan, Managing Partner and Research Director at Javelin. "But they must
continue to improve prevention and detection capabilities by offering specific
new features that address the greatest areas of vulnerability. Financial
institutions that partner with customers through evolving safety methods will
find methods to prosper, even in tough economic conditions."

About Javelin Strategy & Research

Javelin provides superior direction on key facts and forces that materially
determine the success of customer-facing financial services, payments and
security initiatives, using rigorous process, independent position, and expert
people.

Javelin provides reports, syndicated research subscriptions, custom research
projects and strategic consulting to some of the largest banks, credit unions,
card issuers, and technology enterprises in the financial services industry. For
more information please visit www.javelinstrategy.com/research or contact
Elizabeth Travers at (925) 225-9100 ext. 31 or etravers@javelinstrategy.com.

Javelin Strategy & Research
Elizabeth Travers, 925-225-9100 ext. 31
etravers@javelinstrategy.com

Copyright Business Wire 2009