How to Investigate Credit Card Fraud
Credit card fraud ensues when the purchase of goods or services is made using another person's credit card or credit card number with intentions to defraud. There are various forms of credit card, including but not limited to the act of counterfeiting credit cards, using lost or stolen cards for purchases of goods or services, and fraudulently acquiring someone else's credit cards from their mail. Additionally, as of 2009 over half of all credit card fraud takes place online. There are various steps you can take to investigate suspected credit card fraud.
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Instructions
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Steps You Should Take to Investigate Credit Card Fraud
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Report a lost, stolen or misplaced credit card immediately to the issuer of the card. In most cases, the card issuer has a toll-free, 24-hour telephone number posted on your statement and on its website where you can report a missing card. Also request that your account be frozen or that new credit card numbers be issued as a precaution.
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Review your account statement online or over the phone for any fraudulent activity. Most credit card accounts allow online access, where you can monitor posted transactions on a daily basis or as often as you wish. This can aid you in monitoring your account for fraud. If you look at your account online and see a charge that you didn't make, contact your credit card company immediately and be sure to indicate that you suspect fraud.
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Notify legal authorities in your state immediately of any unauthorized use of your credit card. You may begin by contacting the appropriate department of your local police department and/or county sheriff's department. In addition to filing a report with your police or sheriff's department, contact your state attorney general's office to launch an investigation of the fraudulent activity. The attorney general's office may be able to provide you with additional information on how to protect your credit rating and further investigatory steps that you can take.
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Notify the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) of the suspected crime. While the FTC cannot launch a criminal investigation, it will assist by providing you with information to aid in resolving the financial repercussions that result from the fraud. The FTC also may guide you to other resources and agencies where you can take further action.
You may file a complaint with the FTC by contacting the FTC's Consumer Response Center at this address:Consumer Response Center
Federal Trade Commission
600 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20580
(877) ID-THEFT (438-4338)
consumer.gov/idtheft -
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Contact the fraud departments of the three major credit reporting bureaus: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. Ask each bureau to flag your accounts. Additionally, request that a statement be placed on your report requiring you to be contacted when future credit applications are opened. Contact information for the credit bureaus is as follows:
Equifax Credit Information Services
Consumer Fraud Division
P.O. Box 105496
Atlanta, GA 30348-5496
(800) 997-2493
equifax.comExperian
P.O. Box 2104
Allen, TX 75013-2104
(888) EXPERIAN (397-3742)
experian.comTransUnion Fraud Victim Assistance Dept.
P.O. Box 390
Springfield, PA 19064-0390
(800) 680-7289
transunion.com
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Tips & Warnings
Do not provide your credit card number over the phone unless you can verify that the person to whom you are speaking is legitimate. Do not provide your credit card account number to anyone who solicits you over the phone.
When you lend your card to another person, in most scenarios you are responsible for any charges incurred by that person. You generally are not protected against unauthorized use when you willfully lend your card to family and friends. Therefore, lend your card with care.
