| It sounds like a no-brainer. You receive your credit card | | | | speaking with is legitimate. If they demur at all, hang up |
| in the mail, along with a note that tells you, among other | | | | immediately and call your credit card company's fraud |
| things, to sign the back of your credit card immediately. | | | | line with any details of the call. |
| Lately, people have seriously questioned this course of | | | | 2. Ditto for any email you receive asking you to 'verify' |
| action, pointing out that if your card is stolen, a thief | | | | details for your credit card info by clicking on a link in |
| then has a perfect copy of your signature to duplicate. | | | | the email to take you to a verification page. If it's a |
| Instead, say many, in the space for your signature on a | | | | company with which you do business - PayPal for |
| credit card, you should write 'Ask for Photo I.D.' | | | | instance - open a new browser window and type in |
| It sounds like good advice. But what do the experts | | | | the URL to the legitimate site by hand. |
| have to say? According to all three major credit card | | | | 3. Keep a separate low credit limit credit card for |
| companies - Visa, Master Card and American | | | | paying online - or use a credit card company that will |
| Express, the answer is - sign your credit card | | | | provide one-time verification numbers. That way if |
| immediately. In fact, all of them have rules that prohibit | | | | your credit card security is compromised, you're losses |
| merchants from accepting credit cards that don't have | | | | are limited by the amount available on the card. Or - |
| a valid signature. Visa states that a merchant may not | | | | use a debit card that you keep just for online |
| complete a transaction UNTIL the card is signed. | | | | purchases the same way. |
| Bottom line on the question of whether to sign your | | | | 4. Reconcile your credit card bill every month just as |
| credit card, then, is yes, you absolutely SHOULD sign | | | | you would your checking account. Go over the bill with |
| your credit card as soon as you get it. But what about | | | | your receipts, and report any charges for which you |
| other security measures you can take to guard | | | | don't have a receipt or don't recognize. |
| against credit card fraud? Here are five security tips to | | | | 5. If you have the option, register all your credit cards |
| help you safeguard your credit card security: | | | | with a credit card registration service. In any case, |
| 1. Never give your credit card number to someone that | | | | write down all of your credit card numbers, expiration |
| calls you on the telephone. If the caller purports to be | | | | dates and contact telephone numbers for each card |
| from a company that you do business with, or from | | | | and keep it in a safe place. If your wallet and credit |
| the credit card company itself, tell them that you'll call | | | | cards are ever stolen, you'll have a handy reference to |
| them back at the number that YOU have for the | | | | make sure that you don't miss anyone when you're |
| company. That way you'll know that the person you're | | | | calling to report your credit cards stolen. |