Credit card fraud in the United States is a widespread problem. According to finance website bankrate.com up to 10% of Americans have suffered from card fraud. It’s easy to assume at first sight that most of this fraud is the result of highly organized gangs using sophisticated techniques but the reality is the risks may be closer to home. Most of such card fraud cases are conducted by someone you know such as family or friends. Therefore make sure you keep your card details in the right hands.
The main thing you can do secure your credit is to pay attention. If you don’t know when your monthly statements arrive find it out and make sure you look through your statement each time it arrives and call your bank to specify anything your not sure about.
Don’t forget about online security. Never access even a trusted website from a link in an unsolicited e-mail. Go to a website through a Favorite or by typing the website manually into the address bar in your browser. A secure website will often begin with “https” rather than the standard “http”. You’ll often see a small icon that looks like a padlock down near the bottom of your browser window though even those can be faked these days. Once you have finished shopping online you should close the internet browser down fully. And consider cleaning out your browsing history on a regular basis.
Under no circumstances should you give personal information to anyone. Remember, banks and other merchants never request this information.
Protect your Personally Identifiable Information, or PII. NEVER give out your Social Security Number to an unsolicited phone call! If someone asks for that information and you didn’t call them, hang up immediately.
You should contact your credit card issuer the moment you think you may be a fraud victim and cancel your account immediately and then set you up with a new account with the correct balance. The number of your credit card issuer should be on your statement, but it’s a good idea to keep it in your address book as well. The information you provide in such cases can be critical to help the police and the fraud department of your credit card company locate and prosecute the thief, so be sure to take the time to return the forms.
Don’t keep your cards in a wallet, find a safer place, never give out your PIN number or write it on the card, and check your statements every months. With a few simple precautions you can greatly reduce your risk of becoming a victim of credit card fraud.