I have always said don't use the internet to conduct business.

[Jim Becker]

Reviewing your credit card statements once a month is too infrequent at this point. With software like Quicken, you can download transactions as often as daily and not only know what the activity is, but also classify them for better budget management. At the very least, one should be accessing their bank/cc web site (from your home machine, not in a hotel or library where key-loggers could be present) weekly or more often to at least check on transactions.

[Mitchell Andrus]

NEVER use an ATM card as a credit card unless you have an upper limit stop on the account and can live with that amount of fraud/loss. Getting a charge removed from your card is a hassle. Getting money put back into your account is tougher.

[Bill Simmeth]

The personal info available on line rarely comes from the victim's use of the Internet. Most of this info available wasn't entered 'on-line' by anyone buying something over the net.

Hold on -- let's not be so quick to discount the Internet's role in the specific case being reported in the story Bart linked to. It has everything to do with using the Internet to conduct business as Bart's post stated. The site discussed in the story was maintained by a man in RI who posted thereon the fruits of his "phishing" trips. All of the information posted there was unwittingly supplied by computer users filling in on line forms which they thought were a part of a legitimate website.

So yes, there are ways data you enter on line can be compromised. Unless you understand phishers' tactics, know how to correctly parse an URL so you can make sure you are where you think you are, know the difference between an http and https address, etc you can get yourself in trouble.

[Dick Latshaw]

When you enter a cc# online, my site first transfers you to a secure site operated by the card processor to accept this info. I, nor anyone here can get at your cc#. It's kept out of my office - and off of my web site - entirely.

That is exactly the way I set up several sites for my former employer. We didn't want anything to do with customer credit card info.

Of course, we found that our customer service department had set up a database of customer information, including credit card numbers. The administrator account on the database was not password protected.

[Mitchell Andrus]

I Agree. Phishing has been going on for centuries, the net is just another way to reel them in.

[Dennis Peacock]

I've been subject to this. Had to prove that I wasn't some Russian buying LOTS of software across the net from Moscow.

When talking with my credit card security manager, he asked me if I was Russian and why was I purchasing software from Moscow.????!!!!!

I simply stated "clearly" in the phone.....Duz this sound like a Rushun to you?? He said, you're southern aren't you? Well DUH!!!!

Case was closed and I was issued a new credit card.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Dennis....those folks from southern Russia have an accent too!

[Al Willits]

You can not be held accountable for charges on your CC that you did not make, Its the law.
It requires a form to be filled out for the band, and a report (theft) to the police, probably a form for that too.
If your bank and police dept have it together, you can take care of this in the same day.
Also using a check is much more risky, as your account number is on it, people can and have appiled for credit using that, much harder to deal with and in some cases you can be held liable.

According to the personal banker at the credit Union, I bank at.

Which happens to be Beasty, not that that makes any difference....

Al

[Bart Leetch]

Reviewing your credit card statements once a month is too infrequent at this point. With software like Quicken, you can download transactions as often as daily and not only know what the activity is, but also classify them for better budget management. At the very least, one should be accessing their bank/cc web site (from your home machine, not in a hotel or library where key-loggers could be present) weekly or more often to at least check on transactions.

That just the thing that bothers me. I won't put anything on my computer that can be traced to any kind of an account or business. There are no credit card or any bank account numbers on my computer. I do use Quicken to keep track of accounts but all accounts have fictitious names & no account numbers & I don't connect to the internet for banking either. The computer could be stolen & they would get nothing not counting a hacker.

[Jim Becker]

It's a matter of choosing where your risk is, Bart. Even a strictly cash/barter existence carries risk. (cash in the mattress is subject to theft or destruction...barter is subject to the other party reneging after already taking "possession" of the goods or services you offer or inferior parity found after the fact of the exchange)

Frankly, I'm much more comfortable using my AMEX (or Visa if I'm FORCED to ) for purchases "anywhere" than I am in using cash...I have a lot more protections in place if someone chooses to target my card than I do if they target the (small amount of) cash in my pocket.

But don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with not using the 'net for things you are not comfortable with. My original post was merely to point out that the Internet isn't the problem. The Risk is human-derived and exists everywhere in every medium...including face-to-face transactions.

[Dennis Peacock]

But don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with not using the 'net for things you are not comfortable with. My original post was merely to point out that the Internet isn't the problem. The Risk is human-derived and exists everywhere in every medium...including face-to-face transactions.

Now why didn't I say that?!

[Don Bullock]

Bart, if you use the Internet, you areat risk for identity theft. Having said that the risk here isn't any higher than the your local store or restaurant, US Mail, FedEx, or even your trash collection. Unfortunately there are people who have nothing better to do than try to steal your money. I had a friend have his identity stolen by a Department of Motor Vehicles employee. She even used his dental insurance for over a year before getting caught. The biggest scam on the Internet is those who "troll" for information. They send out countless messages saying your bank needs for you to contact them and give a fake email address for you to use. I can't tell you how mwny of these I get at work. My SPAM filter at work handles over 600 SPAM messages a day and still about twenty get through daily. I don't even use that email address.