[gustavus]

I don't understand your point. The banks and credit card companies are already responsible. If I have a fraudulent charge I call and tell them it's fraudulent and they say okay and take it off and either getit back from the issuer or eat the difference.

[rstupek]

I think what you're missing is the bank and credit card companies rarely eat the difference. The business who sold the item which was charged back is the one paying the cost of the transaction (no income, lost item) plus a chargeback processing fee (typically $15 per chargeback).

[rvnx]

They can also punish you for doing so, like banning you from the bank.

They also report account closures to ChexSystems, which can make it harder to open accounts at other banks for years. Credit card issuers can drop you and ding your credit. Definitively not your fault, but still your problem, and the consequences are for you.