Year: 2016

  • Credit card details stolen from Hyatt Regency Trinidad between August 13 to December 8 2015

    Credit card details stolen from Hyatt Regency Trinidad between August 13 to December 8 2015

    Screenshot of http://www.hyatt.com/protectingourcustomers/hotellist/ showing that payment card data at Hyatt Regency Trinidad was stolen between August 13, 2015 and December 8, 2015

    If you used your credit or debit card at Hyatt Regency Trinidad between August 13 2015 to December 8 2015, then its likely that your card payment details were stolen by cyber thieves at large. The payment data breach at Hyatt Hotels affected up to 250 hotels in 50 nations including Trinidad and Tobago.

    According to a statement by Hyatt Hotels Corporation dated January 14 2016

    Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) has completed its investigation of the previously announced payment card incident. The investigation identified signs of unauthorized access to payment card data from cards used onsite at certain Hyatt-managed locations, primarily at restaurants, between August 13, 2015 and December 8, 2015. A small percentage of the at-risk cards were used at spas, golf shops, parking, and a limited number of front desks, or provided to a sales office during this time period. The at-risk window for a limited number of locations began on or shortly after July 30, 2015.

    The malware was designed to collect payment card data – cardholder name, card number, expiration date and internal verification code – from cards used onsite as the data was being routed through affected payment processing systems. There is no indication that other customer information was affected.
    The list of affected locations and respective at-risk dates is available at www.hyatt.com/protectingourcustomers. Hyatt worked quickly with leading third-party cyber security experts to resolve the issue and strengthen the security of its systems. The company also notified law enforcement and the payment card networks. As previously communicated, customers can confidently use payment cards at Hyatt hotels worldwide…..Hyatt encourages customers to review their payment card account statements closely and to report any unauthorized charges to their card issuer immediately.

    If you stayed at a Hyatt hotel overseas in the latter half of 2015, you can see the list of affected hotels and locations at http://www.hyatt.com/protectingourcustomers.

  • Value Added Tax (VAT) of 12.5% to be added to Computers, Tablets and related peripherals in Trinidad and Tobago from February 1 2016

    Value Added Tax (VAT) of 12.5% to be added to Computers, Tablets and related peripherals in Trinidad and Tobago from February 1 2016

    Be prepared to pay VAT on computers and tablets (pic from PicJumbo)
    Be prepared to pay VAT on computers and tablets (pic from PicJumbo)

    Be prepared to pay VAT on computers and tablets, come February 1 2016. The Finance Bill of 2016 which was presented to the Trinidad and Tobago Parliament on Monday 11th January, 2016 proposes amendments to Schedule II of the VAT Act 75:06. The Ministry of Finance has published the new VAT list on its website.

    According to the list of items that will be standard VAT rated are:

    29. The items contained in the First Schedule to the Customs Act under Tariff Heading No. 84.71, being automatic data processing machines and units thereof, magnetic or optical readers, machines for transcribing data onto data media in coded form and machines for processing such data, not elsewhere specified or included.

    30. Computer peripherals and mouse pads, not including audio compact discs of Tariff Subheading 8523.40.40 and digital versatile discs (DVD’s) of Subheadings
    8523.40.60 and 8523.40.70.

    30A. Terminal equipment or other equipment to be installed or used for a public telecommunications network or telecommunications service or radio communications service and certified as such by the Telecommunications Authority of Trinidad and Tobago.

    Which appears to cover any computer desktop, laptop or tablet and related computer peripherals and mouse pads (with the exception of CD and DVDs). VAT on computers was removed in the late 1990s.

    The changes to the VAT schedule is scheduled to become effective February 1 2016 with the new rate of VAT to be 12½%