Credit Card Fraud and Identity Theft Could Jack You Up

By:Jeff Newman

This article gives you nine ways that you can protect yourself from credit card fraud and identity theft. Learn them and take action today.

Credit card fraud is a growing problem today around the world. Credit card fraud is also the leading cause of identity theft. There are people out there that don't really care about other you and will steal your credit card numbers and make tons of purchases, even before you have any idea what is happening.

Because fraud is such a gigantic problem, we must take measures to protect ourselves. Here are some things that you can do, to protect yourself.

1. First of all, you must always know where your cards are located. Don't let them lie around and don't let people borrow them. Definitely don't leave your credit card in your car.

2. Also, be careful what you do with your receipts, because they often contain your credit card information.

3. Open your statements when you get them and look for suspicious charges. If the issuer of your card provides online account access, you can use that to regularly keep up to date on activities on your card.

4. Once you get your credit card, call and activate it immediately.

5. Keep a document that lists all of your card numbers, expiration dates, customer service numbers, and the addresses of your card issuers. You want to keep this in a secure place and make sure that you keep it up to date.

6. Retail sales employees are one of the leading causes of credit card fraud. Make sure you are careful who you give your card to. Try not to let your card out of your site if possible.

7. You should never give out your number over the phone unless you initiate the call or if you are 100% sure you it is.

8. When you are making an online purchase, make sure that you verify that the website is secure. You can do this by looking at the bottom bar of the browser. Look for a symbol of a closed lock. This means that your information will be encrypted. When the information is encrypted, outside parties will not be able to read the information that you are sending.

9. Credit card fraud is a serious problem for online businesses and merchants. Credit card fraud costs business millions of dollars in losses, charge backs, and processing fees every year. It is reported that half of all credit card fraud happens online.

If you have an online business, it is important that you protect yourself. Make sure to use all the forms of protection that are offered by your credit gateway and your merchant account holder.

Put some of these suggestions into action and you won't regret it. There is a great saying, 'an ounce of protection is worth a pound of cure.' Protect yourself and your business from fraud today and identity theft today!

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Article keywords: identity protection, theft, protection, credit card

Article Source: http://www.articles2k.com

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