Stolen credit cards
It is very much known as to how the credit cards are fraudulently cashed. The frauds are not limited to the loss or theft of actual credit cards. A person with criminal intention once knows a credit card number, he can use it fraudulently.
Such making charges through shopping, cash withdrawals from ATMs, against credit card account. In order to be careful with the Make Xerox copies of credit cards. It is better to take copies of front and back sides of all your credit cards and keep them in a personal cupboard with lock and key so that no one else other than the authorized credit card holder can have access to the credit cards. The purpose is to ensure that credit card details are available readily in case of any eventuality of loss or theft. With the available information, one can write to the credit card issuing Bank to cancel such credit card stolen or lost.
It is safer to sign on the back of the credit cards in the place suggested by the Bank immediately after receiving for the first time from the Bank. All the Banks suggest to the credit card holder to sign on the specified place in the credit card immediately after receiving the same from the Banks. Do not to carry credit cards in your wallet or purse for it becomes an easy prey to the prowling thief. Or it is also possible that you may lose the wallet or purse during travel from work place to home or vice versa. In case credit cards are to be carried during travel as usually required, it will be safer to carry them separately. Again it is also advisable to carry the required credit cards actually needed and never leave them unattended.
While drawing a Bank check, do not allow the other person to write down your credit card number on the check. While shopping and while paying with a credit card, ensure that the salesperson writes down your driver's license or social security number. It is a common sense not to sign a blank receipt, for whatever reason. Note to fill the blank space in the receipt by drawing a line through blank spaces before signing card receipts.
Bankers usually advise not to part with the credit card or give the credit card number to any third person. It is safer to follow this tip so that the third person does not misuse your goodness. Especially when giving your credit card account number over the telephone which should never be done. It is likely that some body else may copy the credit card number while conversing over telephone. It is a known fact that the credit card culture has set in and everyone from teenager to the octogenarian feel like using a credit card for daily needs. However the credit card suffers some deficiencies as far as its usage is concerned especially when the credit card is lost or stolen. It will be useful to follow some restricted actions to safeguard oneself from the misuse of credit.
Do not allow anybody to verify your credit card while delivering your mail or courier or parcel. It also sometimes happens that some person poses as though a prize has been won and that that requires verification of credit card number for claiming the prize money. Be guarded against such events and never part with your credit card to any third person.
Whenever you change your residence or office premises, ensure that change of address is notified to the credit card issuing Bank.
Any post office or email giving information that the recipient has been sanctioned or granted a pre-approval for credit should be destroyed or deleted immediately so that others do not get access to such documentary information.
Always make it a habit to verify credit card statements promptly and reconcile your card amounts each month, just as in case of bank account.
If you receive a letter stating you should have received a credit card in the mail, and you have not received it, notify the company or lending institution immediately.
Never reveal credit card number to marketing or sales personnel for it can be misused by shrewd persons who are capable of remembering numbers. Always avoid giving credit card number either in person or over phone for tele-shopping, etc.
When a credit card is being used to make a purchase, ensure to maintain visual contact with the card ensuring that no extra imprints of the card are made to other charge slips. In case such a thing happens, take such copies and destroy all the carbons so that no one can copy the credit card numbers.
If a credit card is lost or stolen, contact the credit card issuing Bank or company preferably over telephone followed by written confirmation as soon as possible without lapse of time so that the stolen or lost credit card is not misused by the person wrongfully came to possess the same. Credit card issuing banks or companies inform the credit card member the telephone numbers available to report such events.
Some banks or credit card issuing companies offer insurance cover to safeguard against lost or stolen credit cards. One may avail such offers to prevent misuse of credit cards in case they are stolen or lost. In case of loss or theft of a credit card one can avail the insurance cover so that the misused or charged credit can be reimbursed by the insurance company as per the billing by the fraudulent person. It is also advisable to report to the police department so that the police can investigate such incidents and find solutions to such misuse of credit card. In any case there is nothing like keeping oneself always alert to prevent misuse of credit card by following the tips provided in this article.
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