Man-on-the-Street

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.