Purchase, N.Y.-based MasterCard, the second-largest provider of credit cards in the United States, said it is teaming with NameProtect, a maker of security software, to pursue individuals involved with various forms of Internet scams. While the effort will address illegal practices such as identity theft and the sale of stolen credit card information, it will focus primarily on phishing, a process whereby criminals use misleading e-mail and fake Web sites to dupe individuals into sharing personal data like passwords.

The initiative was launched at MasterCard's Global Risk Management Symposium. The company is also using the conference, which is taking place this week in San Diego, to showcase antifraud support from several federal agencies, including the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the U.S. Department of the Treasury.

By Matt Hines at ZDNEt.

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