E_man3
11-30-2004, 01:40 AM
Address-form glitch proves an easy scam
Credit-card thieves find sneaky way to beat fraud checks
By Bob Sullivan
Technology correspondent
MSNBC
Updated: 1:52 p.m. ET Oct. 22, 2004
It's a harmless-looking part of every a Web site retailer's checkout page. The form filled out by customers ordering products almost always has a second line sometimes its used for apartment numbers or other information; it's usually left blank. But that innocuous-looking second line could become a big headache for Internet merchants soon, says one fraud expert. Credit card criminals have figured out a simple way to use that second line to foil the most basic anti-fraud measures online merchants use.
Already, five major Web merchants with sales of $75 million or more each year have been hit by the hack, says Julie Ferguson, co-chair of the Merchant Risk Council.
"All of the sudden this has risen above the noise (of other scams). That's a good indicator this could be a big deal during Christmas," Ferguson, also vice president of anti-fraud service ClearCommerce Corp, said. The firm planned to issue a warning to merchants this week about the technique.
Source (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6297815/?GT1=5807)
Credit-card thieves find sneaky way to beat fraud checks
By Bob Sullivan
Technology correspondent
MSNBC
Updated: 1:52 p.m. ET Oct. 22, 2004
It's a harmless-looking part of every a Web site retailer's checkout page. The form filled out by customers ordering products almost always has a second line sometimes its used for apartment numbers or other information; it's usually left blank. But that innocuous-looking second line could become a big headache for Internet merchants soon, says one fraud expert. Credit card criminals have figured out a simple way to use that second line to foil the most basic anti-fraud measures online merchants use.
Already, five major Web merchants with sales of $75 million or more each year have been hit by the hack, says Julie Ferguson, co-chair of the Merchant Risk Council.
"All of the sudden this has risen above the noise (of other scams). That's a good indicator this could be a big deal during Christmas," Ferguson, also vice president of anti-fraud service ClearCommerce Corp, said. The firm planned to issue a warning to merchants this week about the technique.
Source (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6297815/?GT1=5807)