As the population and the economy grow, the use of credit cards also grows. Unfortunately, instances of fraudulent uses of these cards also grow. However, there are steps you can take to protect your card and your credit rating.
1. First, never allow your card to be out of your sight. That means you pay cash at restaurants rather than just give your card to a server. More than a few servers will copy your card information, including the 3-digit security number, when they are supposedly closing out your bill. Some servers carry portable card readers inside their vests so they can quickly and easily scan your card in order to get sensitive information.
2. Don’t loan your card to a friend or relative. Many cases of credit card fraud are traced to family members who chose to run charges on your account rather than on their own.
3. Use an emory board to “sand” the 3-digit security number off the back of your card. If you can’t memorize the number, write it on a slip of paper and put it in an unlikely place, such as taped to the inside of a kitchen cabinet. Without the 3-digit security number a criminal cannot make purchases online with your card.
4. On the back of your card, in the area indicated for a signature, write instead PHOTO ID REQUIRED. Be sure to use a pen that has waterproof (permanent) ink.
5. Maintain a list of all your cards, with numbers, and the phone numbers of the card issuers. That way, if you lose your wallet you know whom to call to freeze those credit accounts.
6. When paying your credit card by mail, do not write your entire card number on the check. Instead, write only the final 4 numbers. These numbers, plus your name on the check, are all the card issuer needs to associate the payment with your account.