How to Guard Against Internet Fraud

Strategies for Protection

Treat email queries with suspicion. Read any email query about your products carefully. For overseas purchasers, ask yourself why they feel it necessary to source goods from Australia.

Consider implementing a query form on your site rather than a simple email link. While this won't defer all spammers, it will make it clear if someone has harvested your address from elsewhere and is sending random queries to try and find victims for their latest scam.

Make your credit card policy clear. If someone emails you to ask if you accept credit cards, but you've already mentioned that fact prominently on your site, it's obvious that they haven't investigated your business. Ideally, don't accept credit cards via email; use a proper and secure process on your site.

If in any doubt about a credit card, check with the issuing bank. Stealing credit card details is a lucrative business online, so it always pays to double-check. For new customers, consider implementing a waiting period after processing cards before actually dispatching goods.

Investigate companies that want to do business with you. Bear in mind that it's relatively easy to create a legitimate looking website, so merely being directed to a site doesn't prove that a company is legitimate. Contact the business directly by phone, and seek references if you're unsure. Also conduct a search on the business name along with key words such as 'scam' or 'fraud', to see if other companies have been caught in the past.

Ensure you have up-to-date anti-virus and security software. An unsecured PC connected to the internet can easily be hacked into, providing business information which can be utilised in subsequent scams. Spam detection software will help identify many dodgy emails (though these change so frequently that no protection scheme can be absolute).

Once you have installed software, make sure it's set to update automatically. An out-of-date security software package is just as useless as having no solution at all.

Ensure that your business website hasn't been compromised. Ensure that your hosting provider is conducting regular security audits.

Remember, the bottom line: there's no such thing as easy money and if it sounds too good to be true, it's almost certainly a con.