You also can complain to the National Fraud Information Center . BBB OnLine A pop-up message usually tells you that you've entered a secure site. And many credit card companies can be talked into waiving that fee because they fear losing customers to competitors. Credit card companies are taking the offensive, too. American Express this fall debuted special cards using essentially disposable numbers that expire after every Internet purchase, preventing thieves from using them again.
Sellers have more to worry about when it comes to online credit card fraud.
Online retailers try to screen out fraud, and Digital River, for instance, said its software provides 1.5 million profiles to catch thieves. The badge also will act like a burglar alarm sticker in the window warning potential thieves to stay away, said marketing vice president William Donahoo. The program is so new, however, that only a couple of companies had signed up as of mid-November. One area of Internet buying that does require extra caution from consumers, experts say, is the burgeoning universe of online auctions, where selling isn't done by stores, but by individuals. Online auction fraud is the number one crime reported on the Internet, according to the Federal Trade Commission.