Online Payment Provider Refuses VPN Users Citing Fraud

by
Anonymous Coward
in security on (#YDDF)
Australian company pin.net.au now refuses to process payments for VPN users. The software used by the pin.net.au rejects payments originating from a known VPN IP address as it is "high risk" and may be an attempt to conduct fraud. A pin.net.au representative has stated that users need to disable VPN software to make online purchases. The Australian government recently started logging internet and phone activity. Australian politicians have recommended using a VPN and other secure technology to ensure privacy online.
Reply 4 comments

Not a unique problem (Score: 0)

by Anonymous Coward on 2015-12-22 03:54 (#YE5S)

I have had a number of issues with online payments where the payment system has rejected the transaction without saying why. Only trial and error can be used to get a payment through. At least this company said why they refused.

Re: Not a unique problem (Score: 1)

by fishybell@pipedot.org on 2015-12-25 22:20 (#YS64)

I think this type of problem is one of the biggest reasons (after, of course, not knowing about VPNs or why to use them) people don't use them more frequently. Ironically, if everyone used VPNs the payment provider would have to stop as people would shop elsewhere and online stores that use them would be up in arms at the lost revenue.

Re: Not a unique problem (Score: 0)

by Anonymous Coward on 2015-12-26 03:32 (#YSJX)

After the AU government started logging all phone and internet "metadata" I started to always use a VPN. The net is slower.. but otherwise there is little difference other than that I pay an extra $5 per month.

Re: Not a unique problem (Score: 2, Interesting)

by sudo@pipedot.org on 2016-01-13 18:42 (#10JSB)

Living in the US I have slow internet anyway, but I took no speed hit by using a VPN, (vpn.ac). I still get my 2.6 MB/s download speed.

I recently tried to register with a forum which discusses recreational drugs, and was prevented, (even taunted!), by the site because of my use of a VPN. I wrote the administrators, asking why they would force their users to expose themselves, particularly those users living in censored or totalitarian-governed countries who can only obtain good information via VPN. They came back with "because:spammers". Seems like a lazy approach to me.