Subject: Bastardizing the Net From: Alex Dering <105217.145@CompuServe.COM> Date: Sun, 1 Sep 1996 13:17:02 -0400

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Ned Fagan wrote:
>This whole "secure commerce" thing is darned peculiar, IMO. We walk into
>the nearest Stop&Rob (convenience store) and hand over our credit card
>without thinking to a minimum-wage worker hired yesterday and gone
>tomorrow. We leave behind the carbons from our charge receipts at every
>bistro and souvenir shop on the planet. But we TREMBLE at the idea of
>sending our card number out on the net. 

Just as a quick aside, I'd like to reply...
I used to be one of those minimum wage convenience store clerks and a
customer once gave me basically the same line about not wanting to leave
his credit card in the store while pumping gas (this was how we made sure
the valued customers didn't "forget" to pay after pumping). I showed him
the pile of carbons in the register and said to him that were I interested
in stealing credit card information, I had 20 to 30 account numbers here
and I could easily charge up a storm. HOWEVER, I then added, the credit
card company would put the charge on the bill which goes to YOUR billing
address and you would look at it and say, hmmmm, I don't recall spending
1,000 on clothing last month, someone must have my credit card number. The
only places I am aware of that allow you to purchase through credit cards
without presenting the actual physical card are mail order houses and over
the phone catalog places, things like that. In those cases, you have to
give them an address, which they will keep on record. There will be a paper
trail neatly linking me to the owner of the credit card. Perhaps if I gave
more thought to this I could come up with a way to purchase things in such
a way that I would not have to give an address. Hmmmm..... Then maybe I'd
go back to the convenience store for a couple of months......
Alex Dering <105217.145@compuserve.com>
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