and the best bit -- the very best bit -- is should you be so stupid as to trust these idiots, you provide them direct access to your bank account. So when these morons donate your data to some smart hackers, instead of your credit cards getting drained, your checking account balance vanishes. It's not entirely clear what protections you have in that case.

Tell your friends and family not to be stupid -- never use a payment method on the internet besides a credit card. It's really simple: by law, you have no more than $50 liability for a fraudulent credit card transaction, vs $500 for a debit card. Plus in the former case, no money vanishes from your checking account, while in the latter, it may take several weeks for your money to come back. And while you are protected, in theory, under nacha rules and regulation E from liability for fraudulent ach transfers, you may still be out the money for a very long time while you fight with your bank. Here's a useful summary: http://www.fatwallet.com/forums/finance/1023728/m15101053/#m...