WPI*IFRIENDS INTERNET ripoff fraudulent credit card charges Internet

Since becoming aware of the above RipOffReport complaint, we have attempted to contact Jonathan directly via e-mail to let him know that we have refunded his account for the charges posted. Our transaction records indicate that the account in question was created using Jonathan's personal information, including credit-card number, email address, mailing address, and IP address. The foregoing information was independently verified using records supplied by Visa/Mastercard, as well as by internet IP-address registries. We offer several different types of memberships. While the standard iFriends membership carries no charge, the charges mentioned by Jonathan were posted because additional premium services were requested by the person who created the account. The membership which was created included fees for access to premium content. All fees incurred on the account were clearly and conspicuously disclosed in advance. No customer could incur charges as specified in Jonathan's complaint without advance disclosure of such charges and numerous multiple click-throughs by the user to indicate his acknowledgement and affirmative consent to such charges.

We have encountered two distinct forms of internet credit card fraud in some internet transactions that we have processed:

1. "True Person Fraud" (also known as "Friendly Fraud"), in which a cardholder falsely denies ordering products and services online, is one of the fastest-growing forms of credit card fraud, according to credit-card industry executives. In this form of fraud, cardholders are perpetrators and merchants are victims.
2. "Identity Theft," in which the criminal gains access to sensitive personal information, including credit-card details, and uses that information to defraud cardholders and merchants. In this form of fraud, individual thieves are the perpetrators, and cardholders, merchants, and the parent credit-card associations are collectively victims.

Based upon Jonathan's post, we are unable to determine whether this is a case of true identity theft and credit card fraud or simply a case of a joint cardholder failing to recall a visit to our web site. We strongly encourage Jonathan to contact us so that we can investigate the circumstances surrounding the creation of this account. Our Customer Service Department can be reached 24-hours-a-day, 7-days-a-week at 1-800-243-9726.

Since becoming aware of the above RipOffReport complaint, we have attempted to contact Jonathan directly via e-mail to let him know that we have refunded his account for the charges posted. Our transaction records indicate that the account in question was created using Jonathan's personal information, including credit-card number, email address, mailing address, and IP address. The foregoing information was independently verified using records supplied by Visa/Mastercard, as well as by internet IP-address registries. We offer several different types of memberships. While the standard iFriends membership carries no charge, the charges mentioned by Jonathan were posted because additional premium services were requested by the person who created the account. The membership which was created included fees for access to premium content. All fees incurred on the account were clearly and conspicuously disclosed in advance. No customer could incur charges as specified in Jonathan's complaint without advance disclosure of such charges and numerous multiple click-throughs by the user to indicate his acknowledgement and affirmative consent to such charges.

We have encountered two distinct forms of internet credit card fraud in some internet transactions that we have processed:

1. "True Person Fraud" (also known as "Friendly Fraud"), in which a cardholder falsely denies ordering products and services online, is one of the fastest-growing forms of credit card fraud, according to credit-card industry executives. In this form of fraud, cardholders are perpetrators and merchants are victims.
2. "Identity Theft," in which the criminal gains access to sensitive personal information, including credit-card details, and uses that information to defraud cardholders and merchants. In this form of fraud, individual thieves are the perpetrators, and cardholders, merchants, and the parent credit-card associations are collectively victims.

Based upon Jonathan's post, we are unable to determine whether this is a case of true identity theft and credit card fraud or simply a case of a joint cardholder failing to recall a visit to our web site. We strongly encourage Jonathan to contact us so that we can investigate the circumstances surrounding the creation of this account. Our Customer Service Department can be reached 24-hours-a-day, 7-days-a-week at 1-800-243-9726.