The credit card industry is certainly privy to theft and fraud – it happens all the time. In fact, it is one of the most pervasive types of theft on the planet. This is why credit card companies offer refunds to customers who have been stung by scammers, hackers and thieves. In the end, it is the economy that gets stung the worst by these types of thefts, because the major credit card companies are really taking the hit. Luckily, there are a number of credit card security tips that you can keep in mind to protect yourself. Here are five helpful credit card safety and security tips.
- Never make credit card transactions on a public computer. For one, if you leave your credit card number on file, you could risk someone else sitting down and taking advantage – there are a lot of opportunists out there just waiting for the opportunity. You can think of it like the 21st century version of poking your fingers in the change slot of a public phone, except the take-away can often be much larger. If you do make a transaction on a public computer, not only do you want to sign out – you also want to delete all browsing data and history.
- Make sure to avoid making credit card payments on an unsecured network. An unsecured network is basically an Internet or LAN connection that doesn’t have a firewall or safety precautions put in place. Basically, you could wind up putting your credit card number into a site that has been mirrored to look like the site you intended to visit. Also, unsecured networks are like open flood channels for trawlers looking for credit card numbers.
- Don’t give your credit card information on the phone unless you know who it is. You should really only be making purchases over the phone if you made the call in the first place. For instance, if you need to pay your cellphone bill, you want to call the company directly – using the number given on the website. If you get a suspicious call, you want to hang up and find out if it is authentic by calling the real number.
- Save your old credit card receipts. If you notice an inconsistency on your bill or a purchase you don’t remember making, you will have no way to prove it was a mistake unless you have the receipt. This is why you want to save all receipts – you never know when you have to prove yourself. If you don’t have a receipt, you could lose money.
- Never give your credit card to someone you don’t know. In fact, you want to keep your credit card on your person at all times. If you don’t, you could drastically increase your risk for theft. You just never know when someone is going to write down the number and use it later. In the end, you want to keep your wallet protected and your card in a safe compartment – just think of your wallet like a locked safe.
