Forum Moderators: buckworks
For example, if you are based in the UK, will your IP address always be in the UK? The reason I've asked is I've had an order where everything checks apart from the IP address which is Bulgaria.
Is there anywhere I can get more information on how IP addresses work etc?
Internet Protocol The communications protocol underlying the Internet, IP allows large, geographically-diverse networks of computers to communicate with each other quickly and economically over a variety of physical links. An Internet Protocol Address is the numerical address by which a location in the Internet is identified. Computers on the Internet use IP addresses to route traffic and establish connections among themselves; people generally use the human-friendly names made possible by the Domain Name System.
Google "introduction to tcp/ip w3schools" for a great IP tutorial.
I hope this helps, and best of luck!
For example, if you are based in the UK, will your IP address always be in the UK?
I think more is hinging on the accuracy of the IP to country database that you are using.
The example you give in which the IP address is shown as Bulgaria could well be such an error - no IP <> country look-up is (or can be) 100% accurate since there is absolutely nothing that ties an IP address to a specific country.
Where RIPE record the owner of a netblock (a range of IP addresses) as being based in a particular country I don't believe that there is any requirement for those IP addresses to actually be used in that particular country.
The other factor that could cause you problems are where people are using proxy servers in other countries to access your website.
If you want to check something else you can do it. E.g. system's time or languages.
We have just installed a geo locater which touch wood has been great so far. We get about 5 stolen card attempts a week on our site and this has stopped them so far in their tracks.
We also check bins and as a final check do a follow up phone call.
A lot of these attempts are made with a UK card, a full UK address and phone number so they look totally legit.
Users on AOL though always appear to come from a US IP Address though as well no matter where they are in the world I believe.
Cheers,
Cam
request.servervariables("HTTP_ACCEPT_LANGUAGE")
I think this will grab the languages off the users pc. You could then add them into your database and check at a later point or even build an automatic flag for certain languages so the order was listed as suspect.
I could be wrong on this though as we never actually tried this one as our other tests seemed to work successfully.
Thanks,
Cam
For example, if you are based in the UK, will your IP address always be in the UK?
Well Google used to think I was based in the Netherlands instead of the UK for quite a while, so no I don't think you can 100% rely on it!
Addendum: If mr. Someone uses credit card starting from American bank's BIN at the same time then you can be pretty sure that mr. Someone is a scammer.
I know that a lot can be assumed from what someone says on the phone, and some scammers are useless when you talk to them (thankfully) but there must be some scammers who have got there arse into gear?
I contacted a chap in India by phone and it all seemed ok but I just felt funny about it so refused the order.
May have been legit. I don't know. Just decided not to take the risk.
If you are happy to wear the cost of goods going missing then that is a business decision you need to make.
Cheers,
Cam
I'm just surprised that there isn't an easy way of checking the credit card details - getting a phone number for whom the card is registered to and being able to call them up.
End of the day you only have your gut feelings to rely on. Not perfect but whether to proceed is up to alone.
