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Preventing credit card fraud

Preventing credit card fraud. Credit card fraud is a serious crime which can cost you and credit card issuers huge losses. Credit card issuers have taken security measures to protect you against such possible frauds. However, you can also take the proper safety measures to avoid from being a victim of fraud.

Avoid credit card fraud by keeping your credit cards safe from thieves. Place your credit cards in a purse or wallet close to your body where it can't easily be snatched away. Ladies, make sure your purse is zipped. If you're shopping in a high traffic area, carry a smaller purse. For both men and women, carry only the one or two credit and debit cards you'll be using that day. Leave all your other credit cards at home. Thieves can take pictures of your credit card with a camera or cell phone, so don't leave your credit card exposed any longer than necessary. After you make a purchase put your credit card away immediately. Confirm you have your credit card back in your possession before you leave the store or restaurant. 2 Shred anything with your credit card number on it. Don't toss your credit card billing statements directly into the trash. Shred them to keep dumpster divers from getting their hands on your credit card number. The same thing applies to old credit cards that have expired or been cancelled. You can go a step further and put the shredded pieces in different trash bags to thwart thieves who might put shredded pages back together. 3 Don't sign blank credit card receipts. Always verify the amount on your credit card receipt before signing it. If you get a credit card receipt that has blank spaces in it, write $0 in those spaces or draw through them before putting your signature on the card. Otherwise, the cashier could write in an amount and send the purchase to your credit card issuer. 4 Avoid giving out your credit card information. Only give out your credit card number or other sensitive information on calls you initiate to customer service using the number on the back of your credit card. Don't return calls to a phone number left on your answering machine or sent to you in an email. Don't give your credit card number to anyone who calls you requesting the number. Credit card thieves have been known to pose as credit card issuers and other businesses to trick you into giving out your credit card number. 5 Be safe with your credit card online. Don't click on email links from anyone pretending to be your bank, credit card company, or other business who uses your personal information, even if the email looks legitimate. These links are often phishing scams and the scammers want to trick you into entering your login information on their fake website. Make sure you're cautious when you're using your credit card online. Only enter your credit card number on secure websites that you can be 100% sure are legitimate. To be sure a website is secure, look for https:// in the address bar and lock in the lower right corner of your internet browser. Taking these extra steps will help you avoid credit card fraud. 6 Report lost or stolen credit cards immediately. The sooner you report a missing credit card the sooner your credit card issuer can cancel your credit card and prevent fraudulent charges. Reporting your lost or stolen credit card as soon as possible lowers the likelihood that you'll have to pay for any fraudulent charges made on your credit card. Write down your credit card companies' customer service number now so you'll have it if your credit card is ever missing. 7 Review your billing statements each month. Unauthorized charges on your credit card are the first indicator of credit card fraud. If you notice a charge you didn't make, no matter how small, report the charge to your credit card issuer immediately. Your credit card issuer will tell you whether you should close your account to avoid credit card fraud. 8 Make strong passwords and keep them safe. Your credit card number may be stored in a number of places online. For example, you may save your credit card on Amazon so you can make one-click purchases. Make sure you use strong passwords - a combination of upper- and lower-case characters and numbers - and avoid writing or sharing your password. 9 Check gas stations and ATMs for credit card skimmers. Credit card thieves sometimes place credit card skimming devices onto the credit card readers at gas pumps or ATMs. These skimmers capture and store your credit card information and credit card thieves come back later to get the device. Skimmers are placed over the regular credit card swipe, so if anything looks off about the place you're swiping your credit card, go to another gas station or ATM.
Prevent Your Credit Card From Fraud. - image by shuttercock


Thieves can take pictures of your credit card with a camera or cell phone, so don't leave your credit card exposed any longer than necessary.

After you make a purchase put your credit card away immediately. Confirm you have your credit card back in your possession before you leave the store or restaurant.

Here’s what you can do to minimize your risk of being a victim of card fraud:

Safeguard your credit card


  • Sign on your credit card immediately after you received it.
  • Keep your credit card in the same place in your wallet or purse so that you will notice it immediately if it is lost or stolen.
  • Do not lend your credit card to anyone.
  • Do not provide your credit card details to an unknown party.
  • Do not write down your PIN number on the back of your credit card or keep it in your wallet. Always memorise you PIN number instead.
  • Keep the telephone number of your credit card issuer so that you can immediately report lost or stolen cards, unauthorised transaction or disclosure of PIN to a third party.
  • Cut your expired credit cards into two when you get a new one.


Check your credit card transactions to avoid unauthorized transactions


  • Check all details on the charge slip before signing or confirming the transaction.
  • Keep all your charge slips and check it against your credit card statement as soon as you receive it.
  • Notify your credit card issuer immediately of any error or possible unauthorised transactions and follow up in writing as soon as possible.
  • Destroy all your charge slips before throwing them away.

Preventing credit card fraud Preventing credit card fraud Reviewed by Pendekar Berkuda on 16:23:00 Rating: 5

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