| There are many threats from hackers and | | | | Most times, hackers will gain access to |
| con artists when a company does business | | | | secured financial information and credit |
| online. Here are some of the main types | | | | card data and use this to purchase |
| of fraud: | | | | products and transfer money to their own |
| Supplying fake products: | | | | accounts. This can be done so cleverly |
| Fraud can occur at the very outset of | | | | by an experienced hacker that the trail |
| your business when you try to contact a | | | | is impossible to follow. The FBI has |
| supplier for the product that you have | | | | been involved in many cases that involve |
| chosen for your online business. The | | | | large amounts being stolen in this way |
| supplier turns out to be untrustworthy | | | | and often are unable to locate culprits. |
| and disappears with your money leaving | | | | It is essential to have plenty of |
| no trace and no hopes of a business. | | | | security and use the services of |
| This type of fraud is similar to | | | | established players in the market such |
| anything that can happen in the brick | | | | as Pay Pal, etc. |
| and mortar world of business as well. | | | | Click fraud: |
| Remember that almost anything that can | | | | Business Week has reported the sharp |
| happen in the real world can happen in | | | | rise in click fraud as one of the |
| the virtual world too, so take the same | | | | growing problems with doing business |
| precautions that you would as for an | | | | online. It implies the software that is |
| offline business. | | | | now available to fake clicks on an |
| Clones: | | | | advertisement online, which results in |
| A common problem that more established | | | | incorrect statistics about the |
| businesses face is clone businesses that | | | | popularity of the site and the number of |
| set up with similar sounding names and | | | | visitors. Since online business sites |
| logos. These businesses will often | | | | pay per click, the advertiser ends up |
| target your trading company's clients, | | | | paying much more money than he should. |
| and make no mistake; they are after your | | | | Many unethical affiliates and |
| business specifically. This can create a | | | | advertising agents use this type of |
| number of problems for the online | | | | fraud to make a lot of money. |
| trading business, since there is a lack | | | | Phishing |
| of physical interaction with the | | | | A common hacker practice online, |
| customers and it is easier to pull this | | | | Phishing or password harvesting has |
| off. Customer can become confused and | | | | acquired a special name. It is a |
| either leaves you for the other company | | | | technique used by hackers via email or |
| unknowingly or be put off by the | | | | Instant Message to subtly and creatively |
| incompetence of the other company and | | | | find out an unsuspecting person's |
| blame your business. It is a headache | | | | financial and personal information. |
| for many companies that operate solely | | | | Sensitive data such as passwords, |
| online. | | | | account names and numbers, credit card |
| Credit card fraud: | | | | details, social security numbers are |
| This is the most wide spread type of | | | | smoothly extracted with the help of a |
| fraud by hackers and is not limited to | | | | little social engineering practices. |
| the web. But operating online does make | | | | Phishing hackers are known to pose as |
| it easier for a hacker to find a | | | | government bodies to defraud even online |
| weakness in your system and exploit it. | | | | businesses of access to their databases. |