Does a criminal have your credit card number? Find out if you’re a victim of credit card fraud and learn the best ways to keep your credit card information safe.

The Problem: More and more, cash is becoming an antiquated method of payment. Sure, we may pay use cash for a magazine or cup of coffee, but more and more, people are favoring plastic over paper. Credit cards offer convenience and ease of use that cash can’t match, but unfortunately, they also make each and every one of us potential victims of fraud.

A thief digs through your trash, finds discarded receipts, steals your account number, and racks up thousands of dollars in fraudulent charges. An unscrupulous waiter copies down your credit card number, uses it to finance a Caribbean vacation, and you foot the bill. Fraud artists are everywhere, and with millions of credit card transactions taking place each day, the number of potential victims is staggering. Thankfully, there are steps we can all employ to make ourselves difficult targets for credit card fraud.

The Solution: Learn if you are a victim of fraud, minimize the impact of fraud, and guard yourself against future attacks.

Action Step I: Am I a victim of credit card fraud? You won’t know for sure unless you look. Carefully check every statement you receive – don’t just make the payment and send it away. If anything seems out of the ordinary, immediately call the card issuer to discuss the validity of the charges. Should the charges be unauthorized, report the fraudulent activity and immediately cancel the card.

Action Step II: What do I do if I find suspicious charges? You don’t have to be actively targeted by a criminal to be the victim of fraud. A lost wallet can easily fall into the hands of someone who may not think twice about using the cards inside to make some simple purchases. Either way, reporting any suspicious charges, or lost or stolen cards, will, by law, remove any responsibility you have for further charges.

Action Step III: Prevent future fraud: Being careful with your card is often the best defense: Make sure you know its whereabouts at all times, sign it immediately, don’t leave it lying out in the open, keep it in a secure compartment in your purse or wallet, and only carry it when absolutely necessary. Open and reconcile statements as soon as they arrive – be sure all charges match your receipts – and shred any documents containing your credit card or account number if you don’t need them.

While shopping online is much safer than sending your credit card number through the mail, there are still precautions you must take when it comes to electronic transactions. Be sure that any page that asks you to enter credit card information has “https” in the address bar (the “s” means secure) and a padlock icon at the bottom of the screen. Avoid “phishing” scams, which generally come in the form of fraudulent e-mails pretending to be from banks or retailers. Don’t respond with any personal information unless you made the contact first – legitimate businesses will not ask you for your credit card number without a valid reason. The best method for preventing credit card fraud, online or in person, is to simply use common sense. You can never go wrong calling your credit card issuer and asking why certain charges are on your statement. There is no penalty for asking questions.

Tags: Credit Card Fraud, Identity Theft, id theft prevention //