It is a fact that cases of Internet credit card fraud have grown slowly over the years. However this is to be expected as the number of people making purchases over the internet has also risen. In 2006 it was estimated that 26.4 million people shopped online and that there were upwards of 372 million transactions. Despite these figures there are signs that Internet fraud is becoming more and more difficult to commit. Between 2004 and 2005 cases of Internet, phone and mail order fraud rose by 29% whereas between 2005 and 2006 they only rose by 5%. Why is this you may well ask? The reasons are simple: better card security and greater public awareness.

If you're concerned about Internet credit card fraud then there are a number of things that you can do to practically negate all risks. One of the most common mistakes that people make, when making purchases online, is failing to check whether the site they are using is secure or not. The UK Card Payment Association, APACS, says that over 50% of people making card payments online fail to carry out simple checks to make sure their transactions are secure. If you look in the address bar at the top of your browser window you will see the website address that you are currently viewing. Prefixed to the address, before the 'www', is the code 'http'. If you are viewing a secured website, one in which you can enter your card details, this will change to 'https'; the 's' simply meaning 'secure'. Another way to tell is to look for a security icon, either a padlock or broken key, at the bottom of your browser window.

One thing that you need to make sure of when carrying out a transaction online is that you are using a secured website. Normally websites will have non-secured and secured areas. When you are entering your business credit card details you need to check that the page is secure. There are two ways that you can do this. The first is to check your browser, Internet Explorer, Firefox, or whatever, is displaying a security icon. This icon appears as a padlock or perhaps a broken key at the bottom right hand corner. Another way to tell is if the website address, in the address bar at the top of the browser, changes from an http (HyperText Transfer Protocol) address to an https (HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure) address. These secured areas are more protected and cannot be view by other people ensuring that the details you enter are protected. APACS, the UK card payments association, claims that over half of online shoppers (51%) do not check whether the website they are using is secure or not.

Remember that no genuine website is going to ask for your business credit card PIN number. It has been agreed across the board that PIN numbers will not be used online. The majority of websites do however ask for your cards security code, the three digit number on the back of the card. If a site does ask for your PIN number take note of the site's address and report it to your card provider's anti-fraud department immediately.

Recently both MasterCard and Visa have introduced extra online security features to help protect the cards that they are connected with. These new systems are called 'MasterCard SecureCode' and 'Verified by Visa' accordingly. Both of these systems allow a further level of password authentication to their card users. These services are provided free of charge and are simple to use. Further more they do not require the download of extra software onto your computer. Once you have visited a website and entered your card details you are likely to be redirected to the vendor's website in order to take advantage of this heightened security.

If you are careful when using your business credit card online you shouldn't have any problems. If you follow the above guidelines then you can most certainly mineralise potential risks. However it is important to remember that most online credit card fraud is achieved by a criminal collecting card details in the real world and then using them over the Internet. It is perhaps most important to be aware of your credit card use in shops and keep an eye out for people who may be 'looking over your shoulder'.