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DAVID CUTLER editor-publisher dcutler@ic.net

New Ways To Steal

When the Wise Men of the Internet first brought forth the miracle of doing business on that very same Internet, oohs and ahhs could be heard across the land. The promises of speed, efficiency and quick service were dazzling. What could be better?

How about getting paid?

It didn't take the dishonest long to realize that the wonders of the Internet could also be turned to their dark purposes. The very speed and efficiency that was so admired could be perverted into high speed theft. Wham bam your goods are gone and your wallet is empty.

The loss prevention specialists and credit departments quickly got into the act. They correctly reasoned that business-to-business and business-to-consumer selling was, at its most basic, the same kind of commerce that has existed since time began. The old rules still applied, though their application might take strange and wondrous paths through electronic thickets.

The speed and lack of controls on the Internet made accurate credit checks more difficult. The ability of thieves to steal credit information from the Internet and use it to purchase goods added another headache. Once false orders were placed they could be quickly shipped to a destination where they faded into the underworld of stolen merchandise. Once gone, tracking stolen shipments became nearly impossible.

Today, B2B and B2C merchants are increasingly realizing how imperative it is to secure that key element of any transaction: the money. Those whose job it is to make certain that payment is received after a sale are learning the deceptions of the criminals and are placing every barrier possible to thwart the thieves.

Reputable sellers and buyers still constitute the vast majority of transactions. Enlightened management now knows that the dollars spent educating and training loss prevention and credit people is money well spent. Internet transactions will only become more secure as our newest form of commerce continues its expansion.