| The rampant use of credit cards, and especially that | | | | recent innovations in fraud prevention such as security |
| use compounded by the secret avenues of the | | | | chips, picture id's and the increasing awareness of |
| internet, can put the common consumer in a | | | | online merchants. |
| substantially vulnerable position to become a victim of | | | | Company databases often unwittingly supply massive |
| fraud. Much like computer viruses and the necessary | | | | amounts of credit card information to hackers, having |
| adjustments made by internet providers, card | | | | conveniently kept it all in one place. Often, the |
| companies and merchants are vigilantly combating | | | | merchant himself will be responsible for payment of |
| fraud as it occurs and thinking of new ways to | | | | the fraud if it is found that improper steps were taken |
| pre-empt it before it can hit. The cost of fraud is high, | | | | to ascertain the purchaser's identity and/or adequately |
| over 500 million pounds in the UK alone in 2004 so | | | | protect the identity of their consumer's. The purchases |
| finding ways to anticipate and curtail the damage | | | | most at risk for fraud are "card not present" |
| caused by fraud, is like the credit card industry itself, | | | | purchases. Sites like list fraud screening sites like: |
| very big business. | | | | preCharge, MaxMind, Cardinal Commerce, |
| Everyone wants a piece of the fraud protection trade. | | | | FraudSmack, WhyLabs and Merchant Sense all of |
| Credit card companies offer their own incentives and | | | | them offering fraud-screening services to the |
| programs and advertise them through clever ads | | | | merchant community, specifically e-merchants who |
| starring Donald Trump, Viking marauders, and unwitting | | | | deal exclusively with "card not present" scenarios. |
| customers channeling the voices of the thieves who | | | | Consumers have other resources, including identity |
| made them victims. Internet sites like Scambusters dot | | | | theft protection software, many of these offered by |
| com and Merchant911 dot com protect consumers and | | | | ClearCommerce. |
| merchants respectively. Often these services are free, | | | | Though the dangers of "card not present" shopping |
| or just provide a forum within which consumers and | | | | are manifold, the convenience and ease of shopping |
| merchants can share information regarding recent | | | | from home will likely do little do deter even the most |
| scams. Even email, which can easily be harvested for | | | | nervous consumer. Though fraud may never be |
| numbers being sent back and forth in transactions, is a | | | | eradicated, online services, software and common |
| potent medium through which consumers can | | | | sense go along way towards total protection. |
| communicate with each other about impending threats | | | | The author is owner & operator of several successful |
| or even scams in progress. Though the elimination of | | | | credit sites. |
| fraud is an impossibility, its reduction is possible due to | | | | |