Credit Card Fraud – 5 Tips to Protect Against It

Although this may sound a bit bleak, the matter of the fact is, in today’s world, your credit card data is always at risk for theft. However, things are not hopeless – there are certain things you can do to ensure the safety of your credit card data.

You should always be on guard for credit card thieves who may try to trick you into giving up your information. Here are a couple of things you can do to protect yourself from these frauds and keep your credit card information completely safe.

1. Be Careful When Handling Your Credit Cards

The simplest way avoiding fraud is keeping your cards safe from criminals. This means you should place your credit card in your wallet and keep it close to your body. Furthermore, you should only carry one credit or debit card with you. Leave all of the other cards at home, just to be safe. After you make a purchase, put the card back in your wallet immediately.

1. Shed Documents with Your CC Number on It

You should never throw your billing statements directly into the trash can. This is because your billing statements have your full credit card number on them. Instead, you should shed those statements and toss them into a dumpster. And the same thing goes for old credit cards that have been canceled or that have expired.

1. Stop Giving Out Your CC Information

Never give your credit card information during a phone call – even when you call your bank. In this case, you should simply give the number on the back of the card. Furthermore, never give out your number to a merchant. Even the cheapest credit card processing machines have numeric pads on them, which allow you to enter your PIN number manually. Always do it yourself, if you want to prevent data theft.

1. Be Careful About With Your Card Online

Never click on suspicious emails with unknown attachments. Even if the email looks like it came from your bank, you should be careful. Cybercriminals know how to design phishing emails and make them look completely legitimate. These phishing scams will try to trick you into entering your data on fake websites. If you want to stay safe, make sure that you’re only entering data on sites that are 100% legit.

1. Immediately Report a Lost Credit Card

If anything happens – you lose your card or you discover your data has been stolen – you should notify the authorities as soon as possible. As a matter of fact, the sooner you report the situation, the sooner the bank can prevent any fraudulent charges.

The Bottom Line

In addition to the tips above, you should also check the billing statements every month. And if you notice any unauthorised changes – no matter how small – you should react instantly. Your bank will be able to tell you whether you should close the current account you have or not.

*Collaborative Post