Credit card fraud is more prevalent in this day and age than it ever was. With fraudulent transactions on the rise, it is more important than ever to guard your number to minimize crooked activity by unscrupulous identity thieves.
Here are some tips to preventing credit card fraud:
- Keep track of your card every time you use it. Make sure that you get it back as soon as possible. Try not to allow your card out of sight when possible.
- Be cautious to whom you give you credit card. Never give out your account number over the telephone unless you initiate the phone call. Do not give out your card information to anybody who calls you. Reputable companies do no call you and ask you for your card information over the telephone.
- Never answer e-mails that ask you to provide your credit card number. Never answer e-mails that request that you visit a website to verify personal and/or card information. These websites are most likely "phishing" websites.
- Never input your card information on a website that is not secure. Check to see if the "closed padlock" icon on the lower right hand side of your browser is present. If the padlock is "open," the website is NOT secure.
- When you receive your credit cards in the mail, sign them right away.
- Shred all credit card applications you receive preferably with a cross-cut paper shredder. Thieves can go "dumpster diving" for your information and use your name and address against you.
- Never write you personal identification number (PIN) on your card. Never have your PIN any place near your card in the event that your wallet is stolen. Having the PIN in close proximity with your card only invites criminals to use the nearest ATM and withdraw the entire balance of your card in cash for his own criminal activity.
- Never leave your credit card receipts lying around especially receipts containing your entire card number.
- Guard your card number so that others nearby can not copy or capture the number via cell phone or camera.
- Maintain a list of all your account numbers along with their expiration dates in a safe place. Also, include the phone numbers and addresses of each card issuer. Update this list regularly every time you get a new card.
- Only carry credit cards that you absolutely need. Do not carry extra cards that you use once in a while.
- Open credit card bills right away, and ensure there are no suspicious charges. Treat your bill like you do your checking account. Reconcile it every month. Save your receipts so you can verify them with your monthly bills.
- If you come across charges that you can not verify or you do not recognize, report these charges right away in writing to the card issuer.
- Always void and shred incorrect receipts.
- Destroy anything with your card number on it.
- Never sign a blank credit card receipt. Draw a line through the blank spaces of the a receipt where unscrupulous individuals can falsify the receipt.
- If carbon copies are made with your credit card, be sure to ask for the carbon copies so that you can ensure that they are destroyed right away.
- Never write your card number where it is highly visible; i.e. a postcard or such that it can be seen through a transparent envelope window.
- Try to carry your cards in a separate location from your wallet such as a wallet made specifically for credit cards.
- Do not lend your credit card to anybody else.
- If you move to a new residence, notify your card issuers right away of your address change.
Fabiola Castillo is an online marketer for the website NinjaCOPS SuperStore. This virtual store specializes in crime prevention tools where you can buy cheap stun guns, kubaton keychains, hidden video spy surveillance cameras, nunchaku training videos, civilian Tasers, expandable steel batons, and many other personal safety products.
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