How to Protect Yourself Against Credit Card Fraud
Credit card fraud could leave you liable for charges you never made. Federal law limits your liability to $50 if you report fraud within 60 days of receiving the bill, but if you fail to notice fraudulent charges, it could cost you. Although there is nothing you can do to guarantee that you will never be a fraud victim, you can decrease the chance of credit card fraud by safeguarding your cards and their information.
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Instructions
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Sign your credit card as soon as it arrives. This guarantees that your signature will be the one that is used to authorize purchases.
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Order a credit card with a photo identification feature included. This allows you to put a photo of yourself on the card and protect against thieves successfully using your card.
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Keep your credit cards in your sight at all times. When at a restaurant, pay with cash instead of credit so you do not have to hand your card over to the server. The server could copy down the card number and use it online or scan it through a skimming machine to get the data electronically.
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When making purchases online, only submit your credit card information to a trusted merchant over a secure connection. If the connection is secure, the web address should start with "https" instead of "http."
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Shred your credit card bills and any other mail that contains your credit card number. Also shred pre-approved credit card offers so thieves do not go through your trash and use those to apply for credit in your name.
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Drop your credit card bill payment in a secure postal service mailbox instead of leaving it in your curbside box for pickup.
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Read your credit card bill every month and identify any unknown charges. Report them immediately to avoid liability.
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Avoid giving out your credit card number over the phone. If you need to, do so in a private location so nobody overhears your number as you read it. In addition, if a company calls you and asks for your credit card number, look up the company's phone number online and call back to ensure that it is a legitimate request.
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