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