How to Block Stolen Credit Cards

Being the victim of theft is a scary thing to deal with. The theft of your credit cards can be much more devastating than the theft of cash because the theft is potentially continued by fraudulent charges to your card. There is a way to protect yourself from charges that a thief might try to use your card for. You can block a card from being charged once you know it has been stolen. It's best to know what you need to do before your card ever gets stolen, so you can act quickly to prevent the fraudulent charges from ever taking place.

Things You'll Need

• Credit card account statement

Instructions

1. Look at your credit card account statement and find your account number and the customer service number. If there is a specified phone number for fraud prevention or lost/stolen cards, use that number.

2. Call the issuing company listed on your statement and let the representative know that your card has been stolen. Provide the representative with your account number and any other information that they request to prove your identity.

3. Write down the name of the representative and an operator number if he or she has one. Write down the date that you realized the card was stolen, the date of your report and the date of theft if that is known to you.

4. Ask the representative about the most recent charges made to your account. If any of them were fraudulent, be sure to let the representative know, so she can remove the charges and investigate them.

References

• Solid Blogger
• Scambusters
• MasterCard