| No matter how careful you are with your credit cards | | | | account information. When you give up and leave, the |
| or your other financial information, there is always a | | | | thief takes the device (and your card) and withdraws |
| way for an enterprising thief to rip you off. Most of the | | | | your money. If your card ever gets stuck in a cash |
| time we're protected, to a certain extent, by the credit | | | | machine, notify the card company immediately. If you |
| card companies themselves. If someone steals and | | | | frequently use ATMs, there are a few things you can |
| then uses your card, you will be off the hook as long | | | | do to safeguard your money. |
| as you are prompt in reporting the theft. However, the | | | | Don't write your PIN on the card or anything else that |
| companies need to make a profit too- and any losses | | | | you keep in your wallet. Choose a PIN that's easy for |
| they incur from fraud will eventually be passed on to | | | | you to remember but hard for a potential thief to |
| cardholders in the form of higher service fees and | | | | guess. |
| interest rates. | | | | If the ATM looks strange to you, or if it seems to have |
| You need to be aware of some of the more creative | | | | been tampered with in any way, don't use it! When |
| ways scammers are stealing your credit card | | | | you've withdrawn your cash, put it and your card |
| information, because being informed is the biggest step | | | | away immediately. When you're entering your PIN, |
| you can take to protect yourself. | | | | cover the keypad with your hand so someone looking |
| When your credit card is stolen, the thief will usually | | | | over your shoulder cannot see what numbers you're |
| rack up a lot of charges before you even notice that | | | | entering. You might feel a bit funny doing this, but it's |
| your card is missing. If it happens to you, notify the | | | | better to be safe than sorry. |
| police and the credit card company immediately. | | | | Your card can also be compromised if the thieves use |
| A more high-tech form of credit card theft is | | | | your information to buy things through the mail, or over |
| "skimming", or cloning. Skimmed cards are those that | | | | the phone and Internet. In these situations, it's hard for |
| have been encoded or printed without the consent of | | | | the vendor to be sure that it's actually the cardholder |
| the credit card company, or it's one that's been | | | | making the transaction- making this kind of fraud a |
| recoded or altered in some way. Thieves can steal | | | | goldmine for thieves. When you're making these kinds |
| your credit card information anywhere your card gets | | | | of purchases, take extra care with your card and |
| swiped (places like restaurants, gas stations, and | | | | account information. |
| ATMs), and copy it onto another card without your | | | | Credit card fraud is an ever-growing problem, and it will |
| knowledge. Most people aren't aware that their card | | | | affect most of us at some point, but most fraud can |
| has been skimmed until they start seeing unauthorized | | | | be prevented. Be extra careful with your information, |
| charges on their account- so it's important that you | | | | and monitor your monthly statement and your credit |
| carefully check your statement every month. | | | | report closely. If you find things that shouldn't be there, |
| There's another kind of ATM fraud, called card | | | | report them immediately. Don't let credit card |
| trapping. It involves a device that holds your card inside | | | | scammers ruin your good credit and take your money! |
| the machine when you insert it, and records your | | | | |