What You Can Do To Avoid Credit Card Fraud

Credit card fraud, to put it simply, is a form of identity theft. While the usage of these plastic cards is gaining an extreme importance in our society, particularly among the working adults, the threat of being a victim to such frauds is increasingly alarming.

Despite this, credit card transactions have nevertheless grown over the years. As such, prevention and precautionary measures must be taken to avoid being a victim to these scams.

Below is a list of steps and tips that you can take to prevent yourself from being a victim:

Do’s

1. Sign on the back of the card once you receive it.
2. Memorise your PIN number, and make sure that it is not accessible by anyone else.
3. Keep your card safe in your wallet/purse, somewhere you’ll notice immediately if it has gone missing.
4. Store the telephone number of the card issuer (i.e. your bank) in your address book so you could contact them immediately if you have lost your card.
5. Notify your bank the moment you suspect something is wrong. It’s better to be paranoid than sorry.
6. Notify your bank as soon as you have changed your address.
7. Be sure to cut all expired cards into multiple pieces.
8. In cases where arrangements have been made (e.g. direct debit), be sure to keep copies of all communication / records for future reference.
9. Shred all transaction slips before you throw them away. Or burn them.
10. Be careful whenever you transact with your card and try to not have it out of your sight. Get it back as quickly as possible.
11. Thieves could take a picture of your cards these days within seconds, so don’t leave your card exposed longer than it should.
12. Check all the details on your transaction slip before signing it.
13. Always verify the amount before signing the receipt. Do not ever sign a blank receipt.
14. It is advisable to use only one card for all online transactions.
15. When you’re making online transactions, be sure to read the company’s privacy policy to ensure that your information is solely confidential.
16. Check your email after you have made your online purchases as online merchants often send confirmation emails or other communications about your order.
17. Keep all your transaction slips as well as internet transaction confirmations so you could compare them with your monthly statements once you have received it.

Don’ts

1. Don’t lend your card to anyone else. If you must, make the payment on their behalf and claim back the money.
2. Don’t provide your confidential card details to strangers, unless you know they can be trusted.
3. Don’t send any personal information relating to your card usage through email.
4. Don’t respond to SMS or calls from unknown people asking for card details. If someone calls to confirm the security numbers on the back of your card (the last three digits), you should definitely end the call immediately. Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) has advised that no company can call to request for credit card or banking details. Anyone doing this is considered a scammer by law.
5. Don’t ever leave the cards or receipts lying around. Though receipts are insignificant to the casual observer, a fraudster could simply use the simple information to scam unsuspecting victims.
6. Don’t use public computers to do any online transactions, if possible.

This article was first published in September 2012 and has been updated for freshness, accuracy and comprehensiveness.