SecureTrading provides a high level of encryption to protect sensitive data and offer the most sophisticated array of security and counter-fraud products and services available to protect transactions. But no amount of encryption or security can prevent fraud if the fraudster has managed to get hold of card numbers and other details from credit cards that haven't been reported as stolen.

Unfortunately, as credit and banking laws stand, it is you, the merchant, who must bear the financial cost of any fraudulent non 3-D Secure transactions. Based on experience we have gained after many years in the business of online authorisations, we would recommend you take the steps listed on this page to help you to reduce the risk of fraud.

Please note: These steps and suggestions are only a guideline, and that this is not the definitive list of precautions you can take.

Utilising SecureTrading Solutions

SecureTrading have put together a suite of carefully selected counter-fraud services to provide you with the best tools to prevent fraud.

Our core services include 3-D Secure, CVV2 and AVS, as well as the ability to set security suspension policy and our proprietary Fraud system that quarantines transactions prior to settlement based on a variety of factors. We also offer additional counter-fraud services such as SecureTrading Identity Check and SecureTrading Card Check. This suite of counter-fraud services are designed to provide you with as much information possible so you can make the best decision when shipping your goods and services.

Don’t believe us? One SecureTrading Merchant that fully utilises SecureTrading’s suite of counter-fraud services is Digitronics. As their MD Amir Khan explains, “To avoid becoming a victim of fraud, it is important to stay one step ahead of the criminal by utilising any means available. SecureTrading’s validation and security processes have given us peace of mind that each transaction is from a genuine, paying customer”.

So, what are these SecureTrading services?

SecureTrading Identity Check

SecureTrading Identity Check is a global identity verification solution. This cutting edge solution enables you to check if your customer exists and lives at the given address and whether that address has been associated with fraud or suspected fraud in the past. In addition, if you need to verify a customer’s age or be compliant with Anti-Money Laundering legislation, then SecureTrading Identity Check can provide you with the information you need.

You can find more information on the Identity Check here.

SecureTrading Card Check

Using the card’s Issuer Identification Number (IIN), the first 6 digits of a credit or debit card number, SecureTrading Card Check enables you to identify the card type, the issuing bank, product type, and perhaps most useful of all, the country the card was issued.

Although checking the IIN will not definitively identify a fraudulent transaction, using the SecureTrading Card Check can help prevent fraud by identifying if the card has been issued in a different country to that given in the cardholder’s address. This could be a trigger to suspend the transaction for further investigation. In the majority of cases, a user will have a credit card issued in their own country of origin.

You can find more information on the Card Check here.

Address verification and card security codes

Online address verification (AVS) and card security code checking (CVV2, CVC2) are now available through all the banks with whom SecureTrading is integrated. These services are free of charge, and we recommend that all our merchants use them. You will need to add extra fields to your customised forms in order to use these features; full instructions are in the Address Verification (AVS) and Security Code Guide, which you can download from the Support Downloads page.

For more information about address verification and card security codes, see our Core Services page. Please note, you can also use our SecureTrading Identity Check service to verify and validate addresses (see above).

IP blocking

SecureTrading also offers the ability to block certain IP addresses from your payment facility. Unfortunately, this is not foolproof. Some persistent fraudsters will merely sign in using another ISP. In these instances, we cannot prevent internet access to these people because it becomes impossible to detect a repeat attempt when a different ISP is used.

Deferred settlement

If you sell high value goods, then it would be a good idea to defer automatic settlement until you have had a chance to vet the order. You can find out how to do this in the My-ST guide, which you can download from here.

Be aware of multiple transaction attempts

As a SecureTrading merchant, you have been given access to view all your transactions in the My-ST area. If you detect multiple failed attempts from the same person followed by an authorisation, this could signal fraud. With My-ST, you have the ability to suspend settlement of such transactions using settlement control - instructions are in the My-ST Guide, which you can download from here.

You can into My-ST here.

If you are interested in adding any of the above to your SecureTrading account or would like further information, contact your Account Manager on 0800 028 9151 or email us on sales@securetrading.com

General Advice

There are other things you can do and look out for to help prevent fraud on your website.

Be weary of free email addresses

Be wary of transactions that originate from free email accounts (such as Hotmail or Yahoo!). Free email accounts are easy to set up and they enable a fraudster to retain total anonymity - no proof of ID is required when opening a free email account. We are not suggesting that every customer who uses a free email account is a potential villain - many people have quite legitimate reasons for using them - but the use of a free email account should be considered particularly suspicious if it occurs in conjunction with one or more of the other circumstances listed on this page.

Be weary of Suspect countries

Always check your delivery addresses. Countries with the highest incidence of online card fraud include many parts of Asia (including Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore), the Baltic region, Eastern Europe, Africa and South America.

Be aware of transaction values

Be aware of the general average value of your Internet sales. If you suddenly receive an authorised order for an amount that far exceeds your average order value, instead of calculating the vast profits you feel you are about to make from this sale, you should exercise caution.

Confirmed delivery

Signature upon delivery is NOT acceptable proof to the banks in the event of a dispute. However, if you do operate this policy, make sure that you always use a reliable delivery agent. Should you subsequently wish to raise a suspected fraud case with the police, such information would be vital in attempting to establish whether fraud has taken place.

Look like you mean business

Make it clear on your web site that you operate anti-fraud precautions, and that you will make every effort to find and prosecute fraudsters who abuse your online shopping system. Even if you lack the resources to do this, it may encourage fraudsters to look for easier targets elsewhere.

Another way of doing this is to display the SecureTrading Merchant logo clearly on your home page and shopping cart page. You can download these from here. If you have any specific logo or branding requirements please don’t hesitate to contact the Marketing team on marketing@securetrading.com.

Summary

Remember, if in you are in any doubt, place the transaction on hold and do not dispatch the goods. Allow yourself time to investigate.

Also please make use of the additional fraud measures offered by SecureTrading e.g. SecureTrading Identity Check. You can familiarise yourself with all of these here.

Any fraud measures being implemented are a step in the right direction for the merchant and consumer alike, and SecureTrading welcome any new bank initiatives in this regard. However, we can not offer you any guarantee that by using our (nor any other company's) payment system you will not encounter fraud or chargebacks. What we can do is reassure you that SecureTrading are doing all we can to prevent fraud.