By now, most people are familiar with the risks of their credit card information falling into the wrong hands: Not only could someone max out your card with their expenses, but there’s also the possibility that someone could use your card’s information to steal your entire identity!
While it’s impossible to eliminate these dangers completely, there are some fairly simple steps you can take to reduce the chances someone can steal your credit card information.
Want to protect yourself – and your credit? Here are seven ways to keep your card numbers safe from prying eyes.
1. Be a responsible card owner. First of all, make sure you sign the back of your credit cards. If you don’t, your liability for fraud could be higher, should your card fall into the wrong hands. Second, get in the habit of double-checking your wallet after you use your card, just to make sure you’ve put it back. This is an especially good idea in venues that hold on to your card while you run a tab, such as restaurants or bars.
2. Be careful when shopping online. Before you make an online purchase, you should always check the site’s website address. It should start with “https” instead of “http” (the “s” in “https” stands for “secure” and is a sign that the site uses data encryption to keep customer transactions secure). Also, avoid making online purchases or checking your credit card balance via public Wi-Fi connections, which are fairly easy to hack.
3. Keep your pet’s name out of your passwords. Fido might be a great guard dog, but he’s not so great at protecting your credit card info. Avoid using any easy-to-access personal information – such as the names of children, pets, birthdates, or anniversaries. Instead, create strong passwords using a combination of numbers, special characters, and capital letters. For extra security, avoid words found in the dictionary altogether. Don’t duplicate passwords for more than one account, and change your passwords frequently.
Another word of warning: say no to any website that offers a “remember password” option. That small convenience only makes you more vulnerable to fraud.
4. Shred, shred, shred. Take the time run your credit statements through the shredder before disposing of them. In fact, you should really shred anything with your financial information that isn’t being stored securely. Shredding is the best way to make sure your data doesn’t get into the wrong hands.
5. Doing business by phone? Be careful with your digits. Not all credit card theft happens online: There are still plenty of old-school scammers trying to get your digits by phone. The best way to avoid being a victim is to be very careful with telephone transactions. A good rule of thumb: never, ever give your credit card number to someone who called you. If you’re speaking with someone you want to do business with, get the person’s name and extension and call them back with their organization’s main number.
6. Read your statements. Even if you’re busy, you should take the time to review your statements and make sure every charge on there was made by you. If something is wrong, call your credit card provider immediately.
Some credit card companies give you the option of receiving text messages when purchases are made on your account. This service makes it even quicker and easier to keep tabs on your card use.
7. Verify your address. Credit card thieves have been known to change the address on their victims’ credit card accounts. The bills are sent somewhere else, and owners don’t even realize someone else is using the cards in their name. So make sure you’re receiving your statements, and verify your address from time to time.
After a few months of following these precautions, they’ll become second nature to you. Taking a proactive approach to protecting your credit cards isn’t difficult at all, and it could save you considerable aggravation down the road.