BUSSINESS INFORMATION

Credit card fraud is a serious problem and is a leading cause of identity theft. Credit card fraud is on the rise. Thieves, con-men and scam artists steal credit card numbers and make millions of dollars of purchases, often before consumers are even aware that there’s a problem.

Because credit card fraud is so common in today’s society, we must take every step we can to secure our credit cards and information. Here are some simple things to keep in mind:

• Make sure you always know where your credit cards are. Don’t let them lie around, or lend them to other people. Also, be careful what you do with your credit card receipts, as they often contain your complete credit card number.

• Open credit card statements promptly and check for any suspicious charges. If your issuer provide online account access, use that facility to regularly keep up to date on activities on your card.

• Call to activate and sign your credit cards as soon as you receive them.

• Keep a list of all your credit card numbers, expiration dates, customer service numbers and addresses. Keep this list in a secure place and keep it up to date.

• A large percentage of credit card fraud is caused by retail sales employees who handle card numbers. Be careful of who you hand your card to, and don’t let it out of your sight if at all possible.

• Never give your credit card information out over the phone, unless you initiated the call or is very certain who you are talking to.

• Be careful with your online purchases. Before entering any personal information on a website, verify that the website is secure. Do that by checking the status bar at the bottom of your browser, somewhere on there it’ll show the symbol of a closed lock to indicate that the website is secure and your information will be encrypted. That means that outside parties will not be able to read the information you’re sending.

Credit card fraud is a major problem faced by online businesses and merchants. It is costing them millions of dollars in losses, charge backs and processing fees every year. It is estimated that half of all credit card fraud is conducted online.
For that reason, if you have an online business, protecting yourself is vital. You have to implement every form of protection offered by your credit card gateway and merchant account holder.
Credit card fraud is clearly a very broad topic of discussion and one that we all need to take seriously.

SINGAPORE, Jan 11 (Reuters) - The Philippine Open, dropped as the Asia Tour's 2007 season opening golf tournament, has been shifted to February, Tour organisers said on Thursday.
The event will take place at Manila's Wack Wack Golf and Country Club from Feb. 1-4 and prize money has been hiked from $200,000 to $300,000.
Inaugurated in 1913, the Philippine Open had been scheduled for Jan. 11-14 but organisers delayed the Championship due to difficulties in staging the event.
The tournament will now be the third leg of the 2007 Asian Tour season which is offering a minimum 29 tournaments and an all-time high of $26 million in total prize money.

The season kicks off in Karachi next week with the staging of the Pakistan Open at Karachi Golf Club from January 18-21.

A money market is a financial market for short-term borrowing and lending, typically up to thirteen months. This contrasts with the capital market for longer-term funds. In the money markets, banks lend to and borrow from each other, short-term financial instruments such as certificates of deposit (CDs) or enter into agreements such as repurchase agreements (repos). It provides short to medium term liquidity in the global financial system. Money market derivatives include forward rate agreements (FRAs) and short-term interest rate futures.
Trading takes place between banks in the "money centers" (New York and London primarily, also Chicago, Frankfurt, Paris, Singapore, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Toronto, Sydney, Mumbai, San Francisco).

Common money market instruments
Bankers' acceptance - A draft or bill of exchange accepted by a bank to guarantee payment of the bill.
Certificate of deposit - A time deposit with a specific maturity date shown on a certificate; large-denomination certificates of deposits can be sold before maturity.
Commercial paper - An unsecured promissory note with a fixed maturity of one to 270 days; usually it is sold at a discount from face value.
Eurodollar deposit - Deposits made in U.S. dollars at a bank or bank branch located outside the United States.
Federal Agency Short-Term Securities - (in the US). Short-term securities issued by government sponsored enterprises such as the Farm Credit System, the Federal Home Loan Banks and the Federal National Mortgage Association.
Federal funds - (in the US). Interest-bearing deposits held by banks and other depository institutions at the Federal Reserve; these are immediately available funds that institutions borrow or lend, usually on an overnight basis. They are lent for the federal funds rate.
Municipal notes - (in the US). Short-term notes issued by municipalities in anticipation of tax receipts or other revenues.
Repurchase agreements - Short-term loans—normally for less than two weeks and frequently for one day—arranged by selling securities to an investor with an agreement to repurchase them at a fixed price on a fixed date.
Treasury bills - Short-term debt obligations of a national government that are issued to mature in 3 to 12 months. For the U.S., see Treasury bills.

Source: Wikipedia