Author: Richard Greenwood
Credit card security has always been a concern, especially since the rise of
online shopping over the past decade. Find out the measures in place that
the best online stores use to keep your details safe and how to avoid
letting your details fall into the wrong hands.
Credit card fraud in the US is a rising problem. Up to 10% of Americans have
been the victim of card fraud according to finance website bankrate.com.
It's easy to assume from the stories you see in the media that most of this
fraud is the result of highly organised gangs using sophisticated techniques
but the reality is the risks may be closer to home. Most card fraud cases
are one off and may be conducted by someone you know such as family or
friends. It's crucial that you take some basic steps to keep your details in
the right hands.
The biggest step you can take toward your own credit security is to pay
attention. Do you know when your monthly statements arrive? If not, find
out. One very common trick is for a thief to change the statement address to
something other than your home, and then start charging. You don't know
anything's amiss because you're not getting the statement. And if you don't
even know when it's supposed to arrive, you're just setting yourself up for
trouble. Read your statement when it comes and immediately report anything
suspicious to your bank or lender.
Online security is important, too. Never access even a trusted website from
a link in an unsolicited e-mail. These can be "mirror" sites set up to look
identical to a trusted merchant's, but in reality nothing more than
data-mining sites that will take your credit card information and run with
it. 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 windowthough 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. In Windows, this can be done via Tools, then Internet Options. In the
General tab, click Delete in the Browsing History section to eliminate the
addresses of recently-visited websites.
Never, ever respond to an unsolicited e-mail or telephone call requesting
your personal information. Banks and other merchants never request this
informationremember, they should already have it on hand.
Protect your Personally Identifiable Information, or PII. NEVER give out
your Social Security Number to an unsolicited phone call! If someone is
asking for personal information and you didn't call them you should hang up
immediately.
If you should become a victim of credit card fraud, immediately contact your
card issuer. Their number should be on your statement (which you've been
checking every month of course?), but it's a good idea to keep it in your
address book, Day Planner, or PDA, as well. Your card issue needs to cancel
your account with immediate effect and then set you up with a new account
with the correct balance. You will likely have some forms to fill out. Make
sure you take the time to complete and return the forms as the information
you provide can be a huge help in helping the police and fraud investigation
team from your card issuer to track down the thief and secure a prosecution.
Keep your card in a safe location (your wallet is generally a bad idea),
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.
Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Article by Click4Credit director Richard Greenwood. Click4credit.com.au
allows consumers to compare credit cards and visa debit cards from a range
of issuers. The site is part of the Click 4 Group - a network of finance
comparison sites allowing banking products to be compared side by side.