Netscape bug can affect merchants --- Tuesday, March 27, 2001
A recently reported bug in Netscape Version 6 using Java can affect on-line merchants. It seems that buttons pressed actually carry the value of the previous button instead of the one pressed. This can result in on-line customers purchasing something they didn't intend to.
There isn't much a merchant can do about this except to be aware of it.
The comlete story can be read at MSNBC
Very Good Website --- Monday, March 26, 2001
We were poking around the Internet this evening looking for fraud realted news and found an excellent source of information.
Merchant 911 thinks the author of the article puts a bit too much faith in the AVS services, but there is still some excellent information here.
Check out Avoid Becoming A Victim Of Credit Card Fraud
Man arrested for identity theft --- Tuesday, March 20, 2001
We heard on the news this evening that yet another major arrest was made for identity theft. The alleged perpetrator had 800 stolen credit cards in his home as well as a large number of identities, including names, addresses and telephone numbers.
Authorities estimate that this year alone there will be 750,000 identity thefts.
Each of these 750,000 scam artist will be after YOUR money! Be safe - use all anti-fraud tools available to you.
More misinformation on the web --- Thursday, March 15, 2001
Merchant 911 found an article on AllBusiness.com, a site promoting itself as the "Champion of Small Business." The article was found under the classification of: E-Commerce/Selling Online/Transaction Procesing/How-To...Prevent Charge Backs.
The article lists the following as being REQUIRED to prevent charge backs - and they are correct! Probem is....an online merchant CAN'T do any of these.
--- Have proof the card was present by swiping the card or by imprinting it on the transaction receipt
--- Get a signature from the cardholder and compare the signature to the back of the card
In addition, they list the following suggestions:
--- Get an imprint whenever a card is manually keyed into a terminal. And be sure that all of the transaction information shows up on the imprinted copy — including the amount, merchant name and location, and the cardholder's signature.
--- Verify that the number on the screen matches the embossed number on the credit card.
--- Compare the cardholder's signature on the sales draft with the signature on the back of the card. Check additional identification if necessary. If the card is unsigned, request an additional piece of photo ID that has a signature, and have the cardholder sign the card. Otherwise, don't accept the card.
Card Numbers Posted to Newsgroups --- Monday, March 12, 2001
The following is a transcript of an e-mail sent to a newsgroup. Although this is a foreign card number, you can bet your next charge back fee that they are doing to US cards as well!
Newsgroups: alt.2600.cardz
Sent: Wednesday, March 07, 2001 2:14 PM
Subject: CC #
> mastercard
> # 541330**26****27 NOTE--NUMBERS REMOVED BY MERCHANT 911
> exp date 03/03
> name: p.p.zw****ken. NOTE --NAME OBSCURED BY MERCHANT 911
>
> have fun
-----------------------------------------
Here is follow up post
hmmm seems to be real here are the stats:
Card type : MasterCard/Access/Eurocard
CCChecksum : PASSED
Luhn Check Digit: PASSED
Domain Registrars are at it too! --- Thursday, March 1, 2001
Merchant Domain Name owners beware! Network Solutions is sending out "renewal notices" to owners of Domain Names registered at Tucows (and perhaps others.) These notices are designed to look like renewal notices but are, in fact, authorizations to change registrars. Read your Network Solutions mail carefully!