Credit Card Fraud

Credit Cards
Actual theft of cards is only one form of credit card fraud among many, including:

• Thieves who pick discarded receipts or carbons out of trash cans to get the card numbers.
• Dishonest clerks who make extra imprints of cards or scan them for personal use or to sell.
• Calls (or letters asking you to call) announcing that you have won (or have been selected in a "marketing program" for) a free or unbelievably low-priced travel package. But, your credit card number is required for "identification purposes only."

Protecting Yourself Against Card Fraud
DO:

1. Sign new cards as soon as they arrive and call from home to activate them.
2. Carry your cards separately from your wallet. Keep a record of your card numbers, their expiration dates, and the phone number and address of each issuing company in a secure place. (Make copies of the card's front and back using a photo copier).
3. Keep your card in view after you give it to a clerk. Get it back promptly after they have imprinted or scanned it.
4. Avoid signing a blank receipt. Draw a line through blank spaces above total when you sign.
5. Destroy all carbons and voided (when a mistake was made) receipts. If a clerk has to keep a voided receipt for the store's accounting system, be sure to get a copy.
6. Save all credit card receipts, open your monthly bills promptly, and check your receipts and payments against the statement.
7. Immediately report verbally and in writing any questionable charges to the card issuer (some have a form on the statement for this purpose).
8. Notify card companies in advance of a change in address.

DON'T:

1. Lend credit cards to anyone.
2. Leave cards, receipts, or carbons where anyone can pick them up.
3. Put a card number on a postcard or on the outside of an envelope.
4. Give your card number over the phone unless you are dealing with a company you are sure is legitimate and you initiated the call.

If Your Cards Are Lost or Stolen:
Call the issuers immediately. Most have a 24-hour toll-free number for reporting missing cards. By law, you are not responsible for any unauthorized charges from the time you report the loss or theft, so note when you report the theft. The maximum amount you can be held accountable for, if the cards are used before you report their loss, is $50 per card.

What To Do About Suspected Fraud:
If you think someone has illegally used your credit card, call the card issuer immediately. It's a good idea to follow up your phone call with a letter. Keep a copy for your records.