How to protect your credit cards?
How do consumers protect themselves from credit card fraud? Cardholders have long been aware that they should collect and destroy credit-slip carbons instead of leaving the data in the hands of clerks or in an accessible trash bin. Carbonless paper is currently more common, but enough care should still be properly exercised with receipts, both to verify billing and to safeguard numbers.
Credit card number shouldn't be written on your check for identification; it's now illegal in some states. A merchant is forbidden to give a phone number or home address or other personal data in a credit card transaction, unless there is a valid and legitimate need, like a delivery.
Most of those losses are suffered by its card-issuers due to the consumers' liability is restricted providing they immediately report a loss or card theft, and call quickly to have an illegitimate charge removed from the bill.
Credit card counterfeiting is heavy in the United States, Hong Kong and the major metropolitan areas of Europe. People who are not frequent travelers should notify their banks before they go overseas. A rush of charges from an unusual location might lead the bank to block the account.
Some additional tips on protecting your credit cards follow.
Credit card number shouldn't be written on your check for identification; it's now illegal in some states. A merchant is forbidden to give a phone number or home address or other personal data in a credit card transaction, unless there is a valid and legitimate need, like a delivery.
Most of those losses are suffered by its card-issuers due to the consumers' liability is restricted providing they immediately report a loss or card theft, and call quickly to have an illegitimate charge removed from the bill.
Credit card counterfeiting is heavy in the United States, Hong Kong and the major metropolitan areas of Europe. People who are not frequent travelers should notify their banks before they go overseas. A rush of charges from an unusual location might lead the bank to block the account.
Some additional tips on protecting your credit cards follow.
• Take care with your credit cards
• Keep your cards in a safe place.
• Sign cards immediately upon arrival.
• The fewer credit cards you own, the better.
• Notify the credit card companies of any change in address.
• In case of theft, notify the card-issuer immediately.
• Always reconcile your credit card account.
• Keep complete information on credit cards in a safe place (card number, expiration date, phone number and address of issuing company) in case the cards are lost or stolen.
• Never sign a blank receipt.
• Save all your receipts.
• Always destroy your carbons.
• Do not lend your card to anyone.
• Avoid giving your credit card number over the phone if you are uncertain who you are dealing with.
• Keep your cards in a safe place.
• Sign cards immediately upon arrival.
• The fewer credit cards you own, the better.
• Notify the credit card companies of any change in address.
• In case of theft, notify the card-issuer immediately.
• Always reconcile your credit card account.
• Keep complete information on credit cards in a safe place (card number, expiration date, phone number and address of issuing company) in case the cards are lost or stolen.
• Never sign a blank receipt.
• Save all your receipts.
• Always destroy your carbons.
• Do not lend your card to anyone.
• Avoid giving your credit card number over the phone if you are uncertain who you are dealing with.
[posted by : OFP on Nov. 20, 2009]
TAGS: how to, credit cards