You Could Be The Next Credit Card Fraud Victim
I regret to say we live in a time where if there is money, there is fraud. When it comes to down to it, credit cards are no different. On cards just as well as in a wallet there is money to be taken, even more so then you would carry on yourself. Although banks boast that cards are the easy and safe way to pay, I have to say that I disagree! As a matter of fact, credit card fraud is known to affect more victims and cost more money each year than robbery and burglary combined. There are a few things to know that can make the card a safer way to pay:
1. Only use cards on trusted websites – A good rule of thumb is that if you don’t know who you are purchasing the item from over the internet do buy it! Also, there are other ways to tell if your personal information will be safe online. First off, when you do anything online, you are accessing what is called a server to view webpages, servers can be secure and insecure. Any time you are completing a form that requires information to charge you, look at the web address at the top of the browser. If the web address starts with http:// such as http://www.JemCreditCards.com then that server is not secure therefore, you should not give card numbers on this site however if the web address starts with https:// such as https://www.JemCreditCards.com then this website works from a secure server and your information will be completely safe. Also, as far as over the internet transactions go, if you use E internet explorer there is a pad lock image on the bottom right hand corner, if this is open the site is not secure and if it is closed the site is secure.
2. Keep tabs of your current card balances – This has to be the easiest part, however, I have to say that less than 10% of my clients actually know what the exact balance is on their cards. If you know your balance, you are able to quickly identify fraudulent transactions.
Now that you know ways to prevent it I feel it is also crucial that you know how to reverse fraudulent transactions on cards as well. This is actually pretty simple, call the toll free customer service phone number and explain to the representative that there is a transaction that you do not recognize posting to your card. That representative will then transfer you to the claims, fraud, or disputes department depending on which card company that you are utilizing. Once you get to the department that can help, explain the situation and the banker will send some paperwork for you to fill out. Simply fill the paperwork out and send it back in, and if the investigation proves the charge to be fraudulent, you will not have to pay for that charge. Also, I would like to point out that in my experience I have found that Discover cards are the best as far as customer service with billing disputes.
Comment from Blondy
Time January 7, 2012 at 12:09 am
It’s good to get a fresh way of looknig at it.