Empeg received many dozens of fraudulent orders with matching credit card numbers and billing addresses. The delivery addresses are always substantially different - usually in the former soviet union.

Hackers get those details from poorly secured etailers. One huge (as big as a rain forest!) etailer threatened to sue me if I linked them with a major fraud attempt that we experienced, and then DIDN'T FIX THE SECURITY HOLE until The Register broke the story several months later. I had identified them as the only common link, and worked out specifically which of their sub vendors was the problem.

Despite all this I buy almost everything over the internet, from groceries to PC's. Consumers are protected by their card issuer - it is the victim retailer that loses out in every case. If it's a western country the police are sometimes interested but their investigations last months or years and you never get back your money or goods.

Rob