Visa International

A California court has approved a request by the Internal Revenue Service for leave to file "John Doe" summonses on VISA International as part of an investigation into tax evasion using offshore credit cards. The order, issued on March 28, 2002, allows the IRS to examine the records of VISA credit or debit cards issued "by, through, or on behalf of banks or other financial institutions" in 31 offshore jurisdictions.

State officials in Florida have asked Visa International and MasterCard International to stop allowing customers to use their credit cards for on-line betting, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal.