This, of course, can easily be misunderstood as some kind of scam, leaving people with the impression that we want to collect additional information. This is not the case, however, because it is merely the method Visa has chosen to upgrade their customers’ accounts, which is totally beyond our control.

To remove any suspicion regarding the need to enter part of one’s social security number when making a small payment to PlayCatan, we have decided to refrain from offering the “Verified by Visa” security detail for now.

PlayCatan - “Verified by Visa” disabled

Verified by Visa is a Phishing Training Application disguised as a security enhancement. Normally, criticism of the system by non-morons centres around the idea that inserting a crude interface into the UI of another site, people are be taught that entering extremely sensitive information like social security numbers into third party pages is both acceptable, and a required step in completing online transactions. Therefore, a scam site just has to fake this UI, without having to fake a URL, or even the bank’s own chrome, to request and receive personally identifiable information.

Play Catan, appear to have run into Verified by Visa issues that are almost polar opposite. Their users are aware enough to question entering their social security number into the Play Catan site. Not only that, they’re suspicious and angry that some online game is demanding that information from them at all. Now it’s not just user confusion we can level at Verified by Visa, but demonstrable harm to businesses trying to accept Visa, too.

Why is this thing not dead yet? Via: cms.playcatan.com.