Have you swiped your credit or debit card at least once this month? Did you complete an online purchase using Wi-Fi? During the heavy shopping season you’re going to want to protect your plastics and fight fraud as much as you can. Here’s some essential tips to use in order to prevent debit and credit card fraud:
There are a few things you can do to practice basic credit & debit card security. Make sure you’ve checked off the following:
Protecting your card number is important. If fraudsters gain access to your information, you can be at a higher risk of experiencing fraud. Gaining access to your card number also opens doors to accessing more personal information. To prevent card fraud try this:
Online Safety
Making purchases online has never been easier. Practice online safety by only making purchases from established businesses that are easy to contact if there’s any issue. Look for sites with “https” in their web address as the “s,” stands for secured. Most of all make sure to secure your devices and networks before shopping or banking online. This includes the use of firewalls, updating your operating system as needed and installing security software.
Check your credit and debit accounts daily to keep track of not only your purchases, but the activity. If any fraud is suspected it’s better to take care of it as soon as possible. Using apps such as CardValet can help you to control and monitor activity anytime/anywhere.
If your card was lost or stolen call the issuer right away to have the card canceled and a new one issued immediately. Also review the purchases to make sure no fraudulent charges were made. If you see suspected fraud on an account don’t wait to see what happens, put in a claim with your fraud department to have the issue resolved.
Don’t fall victim to fraud during this shopping season. Protect your cards and enjoy the best parts about having them like earning rewards or no intro periods!