How To Avoid Becoming a Victim of Credit-Card Fraud

Credit cards are very convenient but they do expose you to fraud if you are careless. To reduce the possibility of becoming a victim of credit card fraud, take the following precautions:

Make sure the purchase is recorded accurately before you sign your receipt.

Verify that the card handed back to you is your card.

Make sure the clerk destroys any carbons or destroy them yourself

Take all receipts home with you. (Thieves can use a casually discarded receipts to make fraudulent charges against your account.)

Check receipts against your monthly statement to verify accuracy.

If you don't keep your statements, destroy them before discarding them.

Do not give your card number to a merchant to validate your check. (Many states have laws prohibiting this practice.)

Do not reveal any personal information when using your credit card. (Most credit card companies prohibit merchants from requiring you to provide personal information, such as your address or telephone number, as a condition of accepting your card. Once the credit card company approves the purchase, the merchant is protected.)

Be careful in giving out credit card numbers over the phone. If you are not familiar with the merchant, get its full name and address and check it out with the Better Business Bureau before placing the order.

Keep a record of your credit card numbers in a secure place, and report a missing card to the issuer immediately to avoid responsibility for unauthorized charges

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