| LED Digest 1526: Simple Checks to Reduce Fraud |
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================================================== The LED Digest Moderated Discussion List "Effective Online Advertising, Since 1997" ================================================== List Moderator: Published by: Adam Audette LED Digest ................................................. February 26, 2003 Issue #1526 ................................................. .....IN THIS DIGEST..... ==== CONTINUING ================= --== Site Revamps and Search Engine Position ==-- ~ Mike Beriault "...as for removing pages I tend to keep the old file name...for a new page..." --== International Fraud Protection ==-- ~ Miracle Wanzo "Implementing a few simple checks can greatly reduce fraud." ~ David Driscoll "AMEX has both the cardholder database and the merchant database in one place..." ~ Richard Stubbings "I...have real difficulty getting USA address verification." ===== GEEK TIPS ================== --== Sub-domains ==-- ~ Ray Litman ~ Ed Seward ==== BILLBOARD =================== --== Web Statistics Software ==-- ~ Rich Dudley --== Godaddy Gone? ==-- ~ Brad Kline ===== CONTINUING ================================= From: Mike Beriault Subject: Website Revamp and Search Engine Position > I have decided to redesign [our] website... I have set up > the page structure differently... will my ratings in the search > engines suddenly drop because some pages return a [404], > or that the link structure is different? - Dirk van der Werff, LED 1525 Dirk, Any change will have some effect but there is no reason for it to be major or even negative. All your inbound links point to your index page, that page will still exist so there won't be a problem. When you redesign your navigation make sure you still have the Home link that points back to your index page as that boosts your own link popularity. Make sure you don't add in a JavaScript or Flash navigation that the SEs can't read. One of the main reasons that you rank well is that your site has good content, lots of it but since you said that won't change much you are fine on that score as well. Adding pages will help your rankings, as for removing pages I tend to keep the old file name (since the page is already indexed) for a new page, or if that isn't an option I leave the page up with a Page Moved and a refresh so the search engines don't just hit a dead link. I hope this helps ease your fears! Mike Beriault scananddelete.com ------- new post - new topic ------- From: Miracle Wanzo Subject: Fraud protection 1) Check the IP address... If the IP address doesn't > match with the purchaser's claimed billing address, > you've probably got a fraud. - Martyn Gay, LED 1523 I wanted to offer something: often (but not always) international cards have different AVS response codes than US issued cards. I know one telltale sign for us has been a foreign order (international ship and bill to) but the card would have an AVS response typical of domestic cards. Each gateway has different response codes, but it's something to watch. Also, most processors have an issuing bank lookup. If your processor doesn't do it, Visa and Mastercard do. Using the first six numbers of the card, you can look up the issuing bank. An American issuing bank and a foreign bill to/ship to can also be a red flag. I know many Americans live overseas, but it still is a red flag for us that causes us to further investigate an order. Another thing to do as well, if your gateway supports it, is to reject orders where the CVV2/CID/CVC code does not match. I have not yet had one attempted fraudulent order where the thief had the correct code. I'm sure it will happen eventually, though. Implementing a few simple checks can greatly reduce fraud. If you want to know an interesting story: I once caught a fraudulent order (Indonesia), but (mistakenly) did not void it. Anyhow, it slipped through, the charge settled and maybe 3-4 months later I received a chargeback notice. It was not a problem (other than the fee) because no merchandise was shipped. But what was interesting is that the customer sent in the lower portion of his statement as part of the chargeback paperwork. There were NINE transactions after mine (on the same page of the bill) all for downloadable products from Norton/Symantec. We're talking over $1,000 in charges. Well, when I got the paperwork, I called the issuing bank (again) to let them know what happened and the customer's number had been compromised. Do you know the issuer did not and would not notify the customer? Sometimes people might think these are billing or transaction errors and may not even be aware that their number is floating in cyberspace. He hadn't cancelled his account. It's interesting because it seems like some issuers aren't really that concerned about truly reducing fraud. They just process the chargeback and move on. Sure the card associations have technologies under development, but it seems like that's more for marketing / competition than it is for merchants. Miracle Wanzo ------- new post - same topic ------- From: David Driscoll Subject: Fraud protection The difference between AMEX and MC/VISA is that AMEX is a closed loop system. Both merchants and cardholders are processed by the same company - AMEX. AMEX has both the cardholder database and the merchant database in one place and can be a single source for verification. VISA and MasterCard are not closed loop and they essentially are a fragmented and disconnected aggregation of card issuers (to consumers) and merchant acquirers (setting up merchants to accept). Combine that with a crazy quilt of postal code systems or lack thereof and that explains why VISA/MC card issuers or acquirers in other countries offer little help. In the US, VISA/MC offer the use of the CVV # or CVV2# as verification of card being present. All plastics in this country have that currently and that reduces card not present fraud tremendously. Unfortuneately, not overseas. David J Driscoll, EVP Sales & Marketing Quantum Loyalty Systems http://www.quantumloyalty.com ------- new post - same topic ------- From: Richard Stubbings Subject: Fraud protection As a UK retailer I feel I should add my comments. I always welcome any customer regardless of where they live. Unfortunately for non UK customers it is not always possible to get address verification. I have no difficulty at all getting UK address verification, my card service provider is happy to confirm a name and address. I do however have real difficulty getting USA address verification. Some US banks reply promptly and some never reply. I have lost a fair amount of business due to a complete lack of response from some US banks. It is strange to hear that a US counterpart has the opposite problem in that he can get US address verification but not UK verification. Richard Stubbings Kulture Shock http://www.kultureshock.co.uk ===== GEEK TIPS =================================== From: Ray Litman Subject: Sub domains > I notice some sites have sub domains, for instance > http://www.shop.com has the sub domains > http://product1.shop.com and http://product2.shop.com. > How is this accomplished? - Toon Eppink, LED 1525 What Toon Eppink is asking is a function of the directory service his ISP hosting company can (most do) provide. These names don't have to be registered and are used to point to a sub-section of an existing second level domain. Many sites use the sub-domains to cover FAQs or sections of special interest. If his hosting company provides a control panel for his use, the sub-domain creation should be found there. If his hosting service doesn't include a control panel then he needs to contact his ISP and request the sub-domains he wants set-up. While this may be an extra cost a some companies it may be free for the asking, it just depends on the ISP. If the ISP doesn't provide sub-domains (some don't) Toon needs to find a new provider. Ray Litman hrcdomains.com ------- new post - same topic ------- From: Ed Seward Subject: Sub domains What you are describing is a 3rd level domain. The use of sub-domains or 3rd level domain must be allowed by the hosting company. The term sub-domain is very confusing as I have seen it used to describe 3rd level domains, 4th level domains and domain directories such as yourdomain.com/directory1. Most of the low cost hosting companies do not allow this, as sub-domains can use the same amount of resources as the main domain. Most low cost hosting companies that offer large amounts of storage space and bandwidth know that the average web site will only use a fraction of the space and bandwidth allowed. If a site uses the full amount of storage and bandwidth allowed under the plan the hosting company will lose money on the account. So they limit the number of domains that can be hosted in the account to one domain and offer have a clause in their hosting agreement limiting the type of files displayed and the percentage of CPU that an account can use at any given time. For example, account can only contain 20% graphic files and can not use more than 20% of CPU cycles at any time. So they will not allow sub-accounts as each sub-account will use additional storage and bandwidth, decreasing the amount of profit the hosting company makes on the account. Sub-domains are not registered with Registrars so you save the registration fee when you use a sub-domain. You only pay for the main domain registration. The server or control panel software sets up the sub-domain registration internally within the server. Ed Seward inethosts.com ==== BILLBOARD ==================================== From: Rich Dudley Subject: Web stats > I was hoping if someone could please give me > some advice as to a good web statistics software. - D. Diehl, LED 1523 My favorite has been Urchin. The reports are informative, and it reports actual search phrases, not just search words. One of my hosts uses Deep Metrix. I hate that it only reports search words, not phrases. For example, a customer searching for "blue widgets" is reported to me as "blue widgets" by Urchin, but "blue" and "widgets" by Deep Metrix. I can't emphasize how much I hate this. Urchin's page layout is a little more spartan than Deep Metrix, which I like better. I think Deep Metrix spent more time on presentation than utility, and the reports load a little slow sometimes while all the formatting gets in place. One downside to Urchin is that although you can download the data in tab delimited format, it takes a little understanding as to the layout of the data. Rich Dudley ------- new post - new topic ------- From: Brad Kline Subject: Godaddy > I would just like to point out that Godaddy no longer > seems to be operating. I had a domain name with > them and it has suddenly been transferred to Tucows... - G. Nathan, LED 1525 G. Nathan, Wow, if everyone was as unperturbed as you seem to be stating your domain name has just moved to another registrar this world would be a great place. Have you even tried to contact Go Daddy? Or go to their site? Apparently not, Go Daddy is alive and doing very well. In fact, Go Daddy registers and transfers in approximately 100,000 domain names more per month then any other registrar in the world. What domain name are you referring to? Because the domain name fengshuitimes.com is registered at Network Solution. Any-which-way Go Daddy is not out of business and doing quite well. Regards, Brad Kline Go Daddy Software ------------------------------------------------------- Copyright 1995-2003 Adam Audette. All Rights Reserved. ----------------------------------------------------------------- "There is one thing even more vital to science than intelligent methods; and that is, the sincere desire to find out the truth, whatever it may be." - Charles Sanders Pierce |
