Most of us want to feel secure, whether it’s personal safety, having insurance for a better future, having a stable career, and having just enough money to make us “comfortable.” To avail of these essential four cornerstones, we will need to invest our money in these aspects of our lives. Having a bank account or a credit card is paramount in being able to save up funds.
With recent advantages in technology, it’s easier for us to deposit, save, and purchase goods with our bank accounts, mostly when everything is automated and digitally done. But here’s the tricky part: if you can have access to your account, there’s still a chance that other malicious individuals can have access to your account as well.
With identity and credit card theft on the rise, it’s only appropriate to find different ways of protecting our bank accounts and our credit card from fraud. But with malicious individuals finding new ways of “hacking” into accounts every day, most people will also need to learn and adapt by using more security measures.
So what are some bulletproof ways of protecting our credit card? We’ll be discussing some methods of countering any fraudulent activity and necessary measures that you can take.
Early Signs of Credit Card Fraud
But before we can look into some ways of foolproofing our financial accounts, we must discern some early signs of credit card fraud. After all, preventing such activities is better than having to go through hoops of claims and papers just to get your money reimbursed back to you.
- Unexplained transactions
- Suspicious unauthorized charges to your debit and credit card
- Inquiries towards your credit reports that are done by individuals that you do not know about.
- Suddenly, you stop getting bank account and credit card statements in your mailbox or E-mail.
- You get calls from your bank and from debt collectors regarding debts that you never issued.
- You get unexplained orders and deliveries that you did not make.
In some cases, unexplained deliveries and orders could just be a distasteful prank pulled by someone close to you. Still, frequently, it’s a precursor to a much more sinister plan of getting your personal information.
It’s essential not to ever give out your credit card information to businesses with a hard time trusting. One of the best ways of ensuring that you’re working with a trusted company, especially one that’s online, is that they’re availing for the services of a trusted cybersecurity firm.
These trusted cybersecurity companies are comprised of professionals who are well-versed in monitoring daily online traffic to ensure that no fraudulent activity might occur. With state-of-the-art services such as penetration testing and cyber network security, you’ll be able to sleep well at night knowing that your sensitive information is well-guarded.
Preventing Credit Card Fraud
Keep Your Matters Private
There’s a good reason why most people who are living a comfortable life would rather keep their lives private: the less people know about you, the less information they can exploit. It’s important not to take photos of your credit card or any cards that you might have.
Although, it’s essential to have a fine balance between outright shutting yourself off from the public eye and having a private life. Some individuals might end up snooping about your private life if you’re too personal about it. The last thing that you want are malicious entities looking for ways of acquiring your banking information.
Be Informed
It pays well to be informed of how most fraudulent activities work, both offline and online. ; In most cases, phishing sites will try to lure in unsuspecting visitors who might type in their credit card information by masquerading as a similar “official” site. Credit card scammers are also known for tricking individuals into giving out information.
Stay Vigilant
Always keep a safe distance from others when you are withdrawing money from an ATM or when you’re going to the bank. Sensitive information can be easily tracked by individuals who are committed to stealing information from individuals.
When withdrawing money from ATMs, be sure that the machine you’re using is not compromised with an ATM skimmer. ATM skimmers are known for recording key information of debit cards and PINs. If you’re in doubt, you can always make over-the-counter transactions in your appropriate banks instead.
It’s essential to be vigilant and alert when it comes to recurring patterns if you’re planning on protecting your credit card information. If you ever experience any of these fraudulent activities, it’s essential to contact your bank immediately and inform them of the scenario. Most banks have protocols and are usually prepared for this type of system. Having professional advice and supervision can help mitigate or even reverse any financial damage done on your account.