01-03-2008, 02:46 PM
I found a $250 Western Union charge for sending Drachmas from Greece a few years back. Called the CC number, and it was gone by the next period.
As to online purchases, it depends on the merchant. For (say) Amazon or OWC, I just use the number. For PayPal or Joe's Indie Music, I generate a temporary number on my CC company's web site. They allow a specified credit limit (which will be no more than the charge), and an expiration date. That service is free - I assume it's cheaper for them than eating the fraud charges.
As someone once said "Security on the Internet is like having an armed guard escort your waitress to the kitchen with your credit card - where the management leaves the receipts thumbtacked to wall next to the unlocked screen door."
As to online purchases, it depends on the merchant. For (say) Amazon or OWC, I just use the number. For PayPal or Joe's Indie Music, I generate a temporary number on my CC company's web site. They allow a specified credit limit (which will be no more than the charge), and an expiration date. That service is free - I assume it's cheaper for them than eating the fraud charges.
As someone once said "Security on the Internet is like having an armed guard escort your waitress to the kitchen with your credit card - where the management leaves the receipts thumbtacked to wall next to the unlocked screen door."