I like your cheque example, again I pick on credit cards.. the banks get so paranoid on internet shopping and yet its very common for fraud to occur because of who sees your card when you're out shopping at the local store...
Actually, you are not correct. The credit card companies are not doing jack shit to halt any kind of fraud since it lets them raise the rates a lot higher. One of my friends owns a mail order company that sells cigars. Every time they flag certain transaction (both electronic or convention) as 'fraud' and report it back to the CC company together with the address where stolen goods are supposed to be picked up at, CC company never reports it to police and gets the idiots. Why? Because they only lose 3% or so on transactions but get to tell congress that they are losing 9%. Nice 6% goes right into their pocket. Follow the money trail and you will get your answers. As a certain individual said five years ago "When insurance companies start jacking up premiums for those who ignore security issues, *then* we will get everyone doing something". Alex