Money Buzz 05/03 Why single-use credit card numbers could stop credit card fraud, what the Dow and dogs have in common, and more

A Real Steal
It's every consumer's nightmare. You open a credit cardbill to find a total that takes your breath away--not to mention adizzying list of unfamiliar charges. With an increasing number ofonline transactions, more cardholders are experiencing thatscenario firsthand. In fact, 1 in 20 online consumers were victimsof credit fraud in 2001, according to market research firm GartnerInc.

But now, with single-use credit card numbers, you no longer haveto forego the convenience of shopping online to guard againsthaving your credit card number-or worse, your identity-swiped fromonline merchants' databanks by hackers.

"Cardholders register on our Web site and then, each timethey want to make a purchase, a click-through generates a uniqueaccount number," explains Judy Tenzer at American Express."You use that number rather than your card number when youmake a purchase on a merchant's site."