ABSTRACT
This chapter presents a general introduction to various aspects of electronic commerce (e-commerce): its definition, various categories, its effects on society, its infrastructure, and what fraud means for individuals. Both e-commerce and mobile commerce blend existing technologies to create new financial services accessible from desktops, mobile terminals, phones, or pads. Proximity commerce or face-to-face commerce is using several methods to replace cash. Peer-to-peer or person-to-person commerce takes place without intermediaries, such as the transfer of money from one individual to another. With the Internet and mobile networks in place, e-commerce targets a wider audience. Business-to-business e-commerce was established long before the Internet. Interest in business-to-consumer e-commerce started to grow in the 1980s, although this interest varied across different countries. To respond to the growth of electronic commerce and online operation, banks have been upgrading their infrastructure to accommodate new access methods and to improve security.
