Depending on the State Laws, Charters, Agreements, applicable Federal Law etc etc etc...the credit card companies will usually take the hit....USUALLY...not always....
That's one reason they charge the business a fee per transaction on their cards---another reason you see the minimum credit card purchase amounts...
A few years ago, before credit card fraud really took off---like Early-mid 1990's---before it was so easy to grab numbers from the internet or from the store based computers (remember when they used to carbon press your card?) ---they really would really go after the credit card owner/payee..in other words...YOU!!
Congress actually did something productive (I know, I know, who'd athunk it) with some of the Consumer Protection Acts that put the responsibility right back on the Credit Card Issuing Banks....
I USED to be somewhat sympathetic to the Credit Card Companies....right until I heard this exchange at a conference....
At the conference of the International Financial Crimes Investigators Association (which I'm a member of), a bunch of us were in the "hospitality room"
, talking about a spike in credit card fraud....That's when the Visa National Rep told us, "We don't worry about fraud, because our profits are XXXXXX Billion, so a few million in fraud is no big deal"....
All of us kinda stood there like
Someone, I don't remember who, but it might have been one of the Virginia State Police guys told him "well, I'll remember that next time one of my victims gets a threatening letter during a fraud investigation"....I think the guy recognized his mistake and we didn't hear much from him....
Man, it used to be PAINFUL for victims...they had to get all kinds of affadavits, signatures, proof, etc. etc...not for us, but for the company to leave them alone.....and that's kind of tough when you live in SC and the fraud is in California!!!!
Have I told you guys how much I HATE credit cards...
So stoked!
