credit card fraud

Avoid Being the Victim of Credit Card Fraud
By: Joseph Kenny

Are you aware of how many ways there are for thieves to take access of your credit card accounts and make unauthorised charges against your account Simply by rummaging through old receipts that you have thrown out or left somewhere public or by a shop assistant quickly scribbling down your card details while they are out of your sight or by an untrustworthy seller who you give your details to on the phone by mail or on the internet your private account details can be taken and abused by anyone.

While most of these situations are quite rare and there are safety measures in place to avoid the abuses they highlight it is a fact that credit card fraud and identity theft is a growing problem that is costing the financial services industry more and more each year. Therefore it is important to be aware of the potential dangers and be familiar with a few simple steps you can take to reduce the risk that you will become the victim of identity theft.

Take The Right Steps

One of the simplest steps you can take is to sign all your cards on the signature strip on the back as soon as they arrive. You can also consider carrying your cards separately from your wallet and drivers licence so that if someone were to find them they wouldnt necessarily have your identity and address. Keep your pin numbers etc. somewhere safe and never with your cards. If it is possible the safest thing to do is to memorise and then destroy pin numbers.

If your card is out of sight during a transaction try to see what is going on behind the counter and seek to get it back as soon as possible. While still relatively rare there is a lot of information on your card which can be copied and used later on. You should destroy receipts if you do not need them. You should also check carefully all your monthly statements and make sure that all charges were in fact made by you. IF you have any doubts contact your card issuer immediately to sort it out.

Dos and Donts

Never leave your cards lying around where others can get access to them and dont lend your card to anyone. Dont sign blank receipts and never give your account details over the phone by mail or on the Internet unless you are sure you are dealing with a company that you know and can trust.

If you do suspect fraud or if you lose your cards report it immediately to your card issuer. By following these simple steps you should be able to considerably reduce the risks of card fraud being perpetrated against you.

Joseph Kenny is the webmaster of the credit card comparison site http://www.cardguide.co.uk/ and also CreditCards121.com for the latest credit cards available in the UK. He also writes for the US comparison site Credit Cards Info.

Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_23698_19.html Occupation: Personal Loan Store Joseph Kenny is the webmaster of the loan information site http://www.ukpersonalloanstore.co.uk. At the Personal Loan Store you can find some of the latest personal loans explained in detail. http://www.ukpersonalloanstore.co.uk/ del.icio.us digg Furl Reddit YahooMyWeb blogmarks scuttle feedmelinks