Dealing With Credit Card Fraud….Again

At the least, you should check your credit and debit card statements once a month and your credit record once a year. You can go to annualcreditreport.com for a free report once a year.

Many credit companies and banks will provide you free alerts if there is suspicious activity on your account. If you’re heading on a vacation or about to make a big purchase, it’s best to tell your bank so they won’t flag it as fraud, but it’s good to know that if someone does make a big buy with your card, they’ll let you know before they go on a shopping spree.

You’ve probably seen the websites and e-mails that request your credit card info, passwords, social security numbers and the like. Trust, a legitimate alert from your bank will never ask you to send this info over e-mail. Keeping your computer up to date is also a big way to keep your credit card protected. Make sure that your anti-virus software is up to date and you have a personal firewall. It’s also good to make sure you have a different password for all your different social media, PayPal, etc. and change them on a regular basis.

It’s also important to only give your credit card number to a site that has SSL protection. If they don’t have it, don’t buy from there. You’re just opening yourself up to the danger of getting your card stolen.

We all get junk mail, but it’s important to shred any piece of mail that contains personal or credit card information. Criminals aren’t above digging through your trash to get a credit card number. One thing you can do is set up an online or automatic bill paying so you don’t get paper statements.

If you’re in the mall or grocery store, be wary of who’s watching when you use your card. It may seem like a good way to save time by getting your card out before you get to the register, but make sure people can’t see the number while you’re standing there. It’s also important to make sure that people don’t see you put in your pin number after you swipe because a quick photo (everyone’s got a smart phone these days) and remembering four numbers is all it takes. Don’t give them the chance so keep your card concealed until you’re ready to pay and make sure people aren’t in your space when you put in your pin number.