It took Terri Lynn McEntire three months to save up $75 to apply for a new credit card after she had emerged from personal bankruptcy protection. She never got the card. “I felt so violated,” she said.

Fraud is a growing business in this country, costing Americans an estimated $40 billion a year with about $1.2 billion refunded to victims last year.

The impact on direct marketers is chilling. Consumers are more skeptical than ever of direct mail and e-mail promotions as well as telemarketing calls. They are very concerned about giving their credit card numbers and other personal information to marketers, especially those that haven’t dealt with.

It took Terri Lynn McEntire three months to save up $75 to apply for a new credit card after she had emerged from personal bankruptcy protection. She never got the card. “I felt so violated,” she said.

Fraud is a growing business in this country, costing Americans an estimated $40 billion a year with about $1.2 billion refunded to victims last year.

The impact on direct marketers is chilling. Consumers are more skeptical than ever of direct mail and e-mail promotions as well as telemarketing calls. They are very concerned about giving their credit card numbers and other personal information to marketers, especially those that haven