Chips and scam

According to the latest cyber crime report from market watcher The 3rd Man, card-not-present (CNP) fraud is actually twice as bad as official figures have previously suggested.

That is quite a worrying fact if the official fraud watchdogs have indeed missed millions of pounds worth of fraud going on under their noses. This is not just a consumer-based issue, it is hitting thebusiness-to-business market hard as well.

CRN has been writing about CNP and corporate fraud for years ­ sometimes at the risk of sounding like a stuck record ­ and either some resellers and e-tailers are just too trusting for their own good, or they are having all their defences smashed by determined crooks.

Admittedly, fraudsters are becoming more intelligent and it is no longer a few chancers or petty fraudsters trying their luck. This type of fraud is now linked to professional crime gangs, illegal drugs and terrorism. It is a very similar story to pirated software sales.

As talk of a credit crunch continues to gather pace, the channel must be even more aware than usual of potential frauds to avoid losing money.

Many smaller companies just do not have the resources to employ a dedicated person to watch out for dodgy deals, but by carrying out a few basic checks on new customers and calling on the expertise of credit reference companies, the problem can be avoided.

Most B2B customers tend to have accounts set up rather than paying with a credit card, but it is amazing the number of deals that slip through.

Company hijacking and corporate ID theft is still a massive problem, so deliveries should always be made directly to the correct address, after checking with the company.

But as the old saying goes, if a deal sounds too good to be true, it usually is.