Authentify has announced that HSBC has deployed Authentify’s services to protect online and remote transactions from fraud. According to the company, "HSBC, the world's largest bank by asset size, is using Authentify’s services to automatically authenticate online users attempting certain transaction against HSBC accounts. The out-of-band process requires user or transaction specific details to be entered via telephone, separately from the Internet side of the exchange. The process isolates the authentication from Internet threats making it more difficult to tamper with an account even if armed with compromised identity information." READ MORE »

This week's New Yorker magazine has a profile written by Jeffrey Toobin of Rep. Barney Frank titled "Barney's Great Adventure." Frank is, among other things, currently the chairman of the House Committee on Financial Services.

Maria Aspan writes for the American Banker that US credit card issuers have not only been cutting back on direct mail solicitations but, beginning in November, most of the major US issuers have reduced their efforts to source new accounts from online lead generation sites and online advertising.

Shell Oil Products US has announced it has launched the Shell Saver Card - saying it is "the first gasoline retailer to make an electronic check payment method available to consumers nationally. This latest Shell payment option provides consumers with a convenient way to pay for purchases with a direct link to a checking account and savings on each gallon of fuel pumped at Shell stations." READ MORE »

MasterCard Incorporated has announced the acquisition of Orbiscom Ltd., a Dublin, Ireland-based leading payments solutions software provider for major financial institutions. According to MasterCard, the purchase price is approximately $100 million, a portion of which is contingent upon the future performance of Orbiscom's business. READ MORE »

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• Sri Lanka Plans New Rules for Mobile Commerce
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• Moneybookers Announces Another Record Year as Profits Double
• Visa Inc. To Announce Fiscal First Quarter 2009 Financial Results on February 4, 2009
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• The Financial Services Club's Blog: Five banking sector predictions for 2009