Do you want to avoid credit card fraud? It’s one of the oldest and most common types of scams. Now that “plastic” has gone electronic it’s become more important than ever to protect yourself from credit card fraud. Here are some helpful Big Scammers fraud protection tips:
1. Never sign blank credit card receipts
Before you sign a credit card receipt always verify the amount. If there’s a receipt with a blank space on it, write $0 in those areas or put a slash in the areas before signing your name.
Here’s why. If you don’t take that step, the cashier could write in any amount then send off the purchase to the issuer of your credit card company. Your $10 dinner could turn into a $10,000 nightmare.
2. Be careful online
Never click on email links from parties that are pretending to be your credit card company, banks, or other companies that use your personal/financial info. This is also true if the email looks legit. This often involves tricks to get you to input your login info on a phoney website.
3. Keep your cards away from thieves
This is a basic yet effective Big Scammers fraud protection tip that many credit card holders surprisingly don’t follow. Even though it’s an offline tip, it also affects online security because anyone who accesses your plastic could, in theory, make online purchases.
Here are some tips. Always put the card in a wallet/purse that’s close to your body so it can’t be easily snatched. It’s also advisable to only carry 1-2 credit/debit cards that you’ll need for the day. You’ll then have fewer cards to keep track of and also will have fewer that can be stolen.
4. Don’t’ share credit card info
The only time you should be sharing your credit card number is if you contact the official customer service number listed on the back of your card. If you’re asked to call back a phone number left on your answering machine or included in an email simply ignore it. There’s a 99.9% chance it’s a scam.
There’s more. Don’t post your credit card number on social media and don’t give the digits to anyone who calls you asking for the number. It’s common for scammers to pretend they work for credit card issuers then ask for victims’ credit card number.
5. Never share/publish your credit card number
OK, technically you’ll have to do that if you make a purchase. However, it’s important to avoid posting your account number on Facebook or Twitter, for example. Throw out any pieces of paper with your credit card number on it. Make sure to follow this tip for both current and old credit cards.
If you want to be 100% sure nobody can access your credit card number you could put the shredded pieces of paper in different trash bags. That will prevent criminals from piecing together the paper for learning your account number.
These tips will help to provide Big Scammers fraud protection from credit card scams.
