When imagining an Internet fraudster it is easy to picture either a spotty teenage, computer savvy and with too much time on his hands, or a sinister shadowy figure lurking behind rows of cascading algorithms, like someone from the Matrix films. As the Internet largely involves anonymous people interacting it is quite difficult for criminologists to build up a single criminal profile; if you search the Internet for 'profiles of credit card criminals' this ambiguity quickly becomes apparent. Although both these stereotypes exist, credit card fraud has become big business and is now more likely to be undertaken by highly sophisticated criminal gangs.

These figures do need to be put into perspective though and should be compared to the huge increase in online card use. Since 2000 online card use has risen by 871%. It is estimated that more than 30 million people now shop online. Back in 2005 the average person spent ?165 online; nowadays this figure is substantially greater. It is estimated that in 2009 more than 15% of all of the UK's shopping will be done over the Internet. It would seem that the rise in crime is proportionate to the amount of money now spent online shopping.

Experts state that there is no need to be overly paranoid about Internet card use, as the majority of card details are still stolen in the real world and then used online. Because of this it is clearly vital that you protect your card details when using your card across a counter. It is also vitally important to dispose of any receipts carefully along with any literature from your bank that may contain your card details. All a criminal needs to get hold of is your name, card number and security code, on the back of the card, to make a purchase. A recent TV show demonstrated how a trained criminal could memorize a 16-digit card number in seconds.

Although all credit cards are at risk you will perhaps want to protect your business credit cards most of all. This is mainly because of the large amounts of credit a criminal could potentially steal. As this is the case you may well ask, what is my card company doing to protect my card? You will be pleased to know that there are a number of monitoring, security and legal promises now common to most card providers. These include: anti-fraud teams monitoring accounts for unusual spending; online password authentication requirements; and promises of fraud protection if your details do get stolen.

The methods that criminals use to get hold of your business credit card details are varied. Still the most common method is to memorise your card number whilst you are making a purchase offline, across the counter. This demonstrates that it is important to be mindful of where your card is at all times and who is nearby. A form of healthy paranoia seems to be the order of the day. Another less common method, although just as rife, is the phishing method. This is where a bogus, but official looking, email asks for your credit card details perhaps on a similarly bogus yet official looking website. These methods of collecting card details are difficult for the financial companies to stop directly and are down to the individual card user. Financial companies do however seek to educate the public on these types of activities.

Business credit cards details are perhaps the most sought after because they generally have higher credit limits than personal credit cards. The most important thing to remember is to protect your details offline and never enter your details at the request of an email. Financial experts recommend that you approach your card provider and fully understand what anti-fraud services they are providing. If you think that you have been 'duped' then you should always call your card provider immediately.