| Phishing is a term coined by hackers who mimic | | | | 1) If you received a suspicious email telling you that |
| legitimate companies in emails to compel individuals to | | | | your account will be terminated unless you confirm |
| share access codes or credit card numbers. This is a | | | | your billing information, it is best not to respond or click |
| credit card fraud that all cardholders must be aware | | | | the link included in the email. Clicking on the link might |
| of. | | | | only activate a Trojan program. Instead, call the |
| Also called card skimming, people are tricked by | | | | company stated on the email and determine its |
| receiving an email stating that they must verify their | | | | legitimacy. |
| accounts by giving their access codes or card | | | | 2) The best way to prevent credit card skimming is to |
| numbers. They will be asked to follow a bogus link. | | | | avoid suspicious sites. If you come across one, leave |
| This link will direct people to web pages that look | | | | the site at once. |
| identical to a certain company's site. This scam is | | | | 3) Another excellent way to avoid any type of card |
| easily avoided as long as cardholders know how to | | | | scam is to create passwords that are hard to guess. It |
| closely identify legitimate websites from fakes. | | | | is best to create one by combining upper and lower |
| Telltale signs include: | | | | case letters as well as numbers. Make sure your |
| * The email cannot confirm that the company does | | | | password is at least six characters long. |
| business with you | | | | 4) Do not wait to receive fraudulent emails before you |
| * The email states that you have been a victim of | | | | take action. Review every card and bank statements |
| credit card fraud | | | | as soon as you receive them. Watch for any |
| * HTML tags behind the links from the email will reveal | | | | unauthorized fees. If there is a delay on your |
| that the hidden URL do not link to a page within the | | | | statement, call your bank to confirm your billing address |
| legitimate domain | | | | and account balance. |
| * You never initiated any contact with the sender | | | | 5) Never use public internet cafes when doing any |
| * The email does not address you by your name | | | | forms of financial transaction. Public internet cafes are |
| How To Avoid Card Fraud | | | | unsafe for financial transactions. |