Credit Card Fraud: How to Avoid Unauthorized Charges

The number of credit cardholders is rapidly increasing. Paying with plastics is very easy, fast and convenient. They provide more purchasing power and flexibility in comparison with cash. That's why nowadays you can hardly find a person having no plastics at all. However, the increase of credit card use has one disadvantage: credit card fraud is also on the rise. In addition to special features and services that banks are constantly developing to ensure no breach of security, you can also take measures to prevent unauthorized charges. We have created 10 useful tips which will help you to prevent credit card fraud.

• Keep an eye on your credit cards when you use them. There are many cases when waitresses or clerks jotted down the numbers of credit cards and made purchases via phone. So try not to let your plastic out of your sight whenever it is possible.
• Don't tell your account number over the phone unless you initiated the call. Scammers often pretend to be bank employees. They tell that there was a "problems with a computer" and they need to verify your credit card information.

• Don't respond to emails asking you to provide your financial information via email or a special website. This is a typical example of "phishing" scams.
• Sign your plastics when you receive them. It will protect the credit cards from unauthorized use. Having an example of your signature on the back of your credit card, salespeople will be able to verify it with the signature on a sales receipt. If they don't match, the transaction will be stopped.

• Don't write your PIN number on your credit card or carry it near your plastic. It's very convenient to have a credit card and PIN together, but it will equally convenient for a criminal to find your PIN if he steals your wallet.
• Don't leave your credit cards or sales receipts lying around. You need to shred any documents or notes that contain your financial information to ensure credit card security. Otherwise, the documents can be captured on a cell phone or other camera. Sometimes thieves go through trash to find receipts or carbons and then use your credit card number for making purchases via telephone or Internet. In this case your physical credit card is not necessary.

• Don't take all your credit cards when you are going shopping. Take 1-3 plastics that you absolutely need. If your wallet is stolen, you will have less trouble dealing with credit card issuers.
• Make up a list of all your credit card numbers, their expiration dates and telephone numbers of credit card issuers. Keep the information in a secure place. Don't forget to update the list every time you get a new plastic.

• Regularly check your credit card bills to make sure that there are no unauthorized charges. Save your sales receipts in order to compare them with your monthly bills. If you see any charges that you didn't make - report them to the credit card issuer. However, be careful: it is easy to make small purchases and then forget about them.
• Don't sign a blank sales receipt. Carefully draw a line through any blank spaces above the total. Thus you will prevent adding any fraudulent charges.

Now you know what basic measures will help you to prevent credit card fraud. Be careful and don't forget that the best precaution is a common sense!

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