Welcome to my website and learn about reporting credit card fraud. Your vigilance on your cards will have ripple effect on others, too. Because chances are, yours is not an isolated case.
Reporting Credit Card Fraud Tips
Anyone who possesses a credit card is very well aware of a kind of fear which constantly lurks at the back of their minds. The fear of your card information being misused or worse still, getting your card stolen, is the worst night mare you could possibly go through. As the credit card frauds are on an all time high, it is crucial to know what to do when reporting credit card fraud.
Credit cards are increasingly being used for the financial transactions and card transaction represent over 90% of all transactions made over the Internet. Although physical use of the cards can encounter cases of fraud, their use for online purchases exposes them to greater chance of being misused as no signature or PIN is required on purchase. All card owners need to be aware that your card can be safely nestled in you wallet, yet you could be at the receiving end of the card cons.
When you make online purchases, you are required to enter your personalized 3 digit code provided on your card, which authorizes the merchant to access your account and deduct the billed amount of the purchase from it. The internet is home to many scams, frauds and white collared crimes, and cards are not spared here either. There is always a possibility of your card information being compromised during the online purchases. If you have conformed information that your card has been stolen or misused, the first step in reporting credit card fraud is to call up the customer care phone number provided at the back of the card. You need to inform the local police department and lodge an official complaint in regard to the theft.
The Federal Trade Commission encourages the reporting of credit card fraud and you may also have the additional benefit of getting relevant credit history information from them. Reporting credit card fraud to your card company is essential if you are targeted, and the sooner the better. You need to activate a fraud alert regarding the stolen or misused credit account. Inform your bank or financial institution in detail about the fraud and make sure that the old account details are altered and get new ones in place.
Most financial institutions will provide free reports of the transactions charged on your card. Internet banking will generally show transactions, and it is strongly advised you check this frequently. Do not be alarmed if you don’t immediately identify a transaction. Some businesses will use unfamiliar names to identify transactions. Card issuers should be more than willing to investigate any transactions for you.
Learn more information on reporting credit card fraud, and ways of protecting yourself and your financial security.
Reporting Credit Card Fraud to Protect Yourself and Others
You think you may have misplaced your card and it may possibly be at home somewhere. You do nothing, thinking you will come across it. Then you quickly realize that this is not the case when your credit card bill comes in and there are charges that you could not have possibly made because your “card is in the house somewhere.” Though this is the worst case scenario, this does happen very frequently. Once your bill arrives and you see the unauthorized charges you should be on the phone immediately reporting credit card fraud. In today’s poor economy, criminal acts are becoming more of a problem.
At the first sign of not having your card available to you, whether you think it is somewhere in your home or not, you should definitely be reporting credit card fraud and calling all the businesses where you might normally use it. Another form of credit card fraud is what they call application fraud. The perpetrator uses your credit card information to apply for loans, buy cars and can make huge purposes. You must also call any department stores and report a possible stolen card to them as well. The criminal can take your credit card, go to the department store and use the identity information they managed to steal and also make purchases there as well. This is the time to protect yourself. An important paper that you should have on hand is all your credit card numbers, telephone numbers to call to report a lost or stolen card, all department store telephone numbers and any other numbers that may be important to protect your finances and most importantly, your identify.
So to summarize, first you should have the telephone numbers of all the card issuers and/or department stores on paper and placed somewhere safe but with easy access. Most card companies have an 800 number to call 24 hours a day to report a lost or stolen card. While you might think this is a lot of trouble at the time, it is so very worthwhile. You must protect yourself at all times. Take the time to write all these numbers down, keep them in a place to which you have quick and easy access and get on the phone immediately to report the crime. In the long run, it will be well worth the short time it takes to do this for yourself and future potential victims.
Find out about steps on reporting credit card fraud, and be aggressive in checking your credit reports and reporting any unknown and suspicious activities.
Identity Theft – 5 Ways You Can Become a Victim – Identity Theft Protection and Credit Card Fraud
Across the country, the threat of identity theft continues to climb, this white collar crime continues to plague American consumers, and while it has a direct impact on your wallet, its not just about the money anymore. From using your medical benefits to enable illegal immigration to more insidious crimes, identity fraud criminals are continually inventing new ways to use stolen information.
- Drivers License Identity – In America, our driver’s licenses, issued by each state’s Department of Motor Vehicles or Department of Transportation, have become our national identification card. Unlike a passport, we carry our driver’s license with us almost everywhere, multiplying the potential for theft. If your driver’s license is stolen and used by someone who receives a DUI or DWI and then fails to appear in court, you may be arrested. A Pre-Paid Legal membership with the Legal Shield add-on gives you access to an attorney 24-hours a day via a toll-free phone call. It’s easy to understand the value of having a lawyer on call in the event that you’re stopped by police and there’s a warrant for your arrest for failure to appear in court.
- Medical Identity – When someone uses your name, Social Security Number, birth date or your insurance card to obtain medical services, they’ve attacked your medical identity. Whether they assume your identity for the purpose of getting tests, or to receive treatment, not only will your name be on the bill, but the results may become part of your medical history. In some instances medical identity theft means someone else is using your medical benefits. Setting the Medical Information Bureau straight – and restoring your medical identity – in most cases requires an attorney. With a Pre-Paid Legal membership, you’ll have qualified legal counsel at your fingertips.
- Social Security Number Identity – When your Social Security Number is used by an identity thief to file with the Internal Revenue Services (IRS), you are stuck in the middle with the tax bill, and a serious need for an attorney. If an undocumented worker uses your Social Security Number to get a job, the income reported to the IRS from the W-2 will raise a red flag as unreported income on your tax return. Alternately, if the thief files before you, the IRS will believe that you have already filed and received your refund, and the return you submitted is a second copy or duplicate. With a Pre-Paid Legal membership you have access to legal counsel and to IRS audit legal services if needed.
- Character Identity – It may seem like something out of a movie, but when someone assumes your identity and commits a crime in your name, the drama is real. If your being detained or arrested for a crime you did not commit, you will obviously want to speak to an attorney. The Legal Shield (if available in your jurisdiction) gives you access to an attorney across North America by telephone 24 hours a day if you are being detained or arrested. In a situation like this, it’s not likely that your credit card company will be of any assistance. Quick detection is essential in the fight against identity theft. The Identity Theft Shield alerts you when there has been a change on your Experian credit file, which could be a change of address or change to your public records, including felonies.
- Financial/Credit Identity Theft – This form of fraud is the one most commonly recognized as identity theft: stealing your identity for financial gain. A thief may set up accounts in your name, use your existing accounts, borrow money against your home, or purchase cars or even a house in your name. When your credit has been exhausted – and ruined – the thief disappears and leaves you with the daunting task of clearing your own name.
One of the greatest misunderstandings about identity theft is that consumers do not lose money. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth. If your credit transaction is covered by Regulation E, you only have two days to report a charge before you start losing money. If you do not deny the debt within 60 days, your financial institution is under no obligation to relieve you of the debt. Because identity thieves often change the mailing address on file with creditors, it is common for victims to be unaware of a theft situation until months after the crime has occurred. In situations like these – and many others – the early detection and restoration services that come with the Identity Theft Shield and the legal services of a Pre-Paid Legal membership, provide an added layer of protection. The hours involved in dealing with identity theft add up. It’s reported that it takes 600 hours to deal with true identity theft, do you understand now how the Pre-Paid Legal membership combined with the Identity Theft Shield can be an invaluable service to you and your family. Pre-Paid Legal is the only company that offers a suite of products that fights identity theft before during and after the crime.
Remember no one is immune, an experienced thief can assume your identity and ruin your credit and your reputation. A while there are measures you can take to safeguard your identity, including Pre-Paid Legal’s Identity Theft Shield, no one is immune. The difference for those who employ the services Pre-Paid Legal offers is that when you become a victim, you have the power of legal counsel and the experience of licensed investigators working on your behalf. You have the power to fight back.
Reporting credit card fraud means being aware of what your credit report contains and making sure that the bureaus have your updated number should they have a reason to call. One phone call is so much easier to deal with than trying to untangle the problems of being a victim of identity theft.
Copyright 2011.Reporting Credit Card Fraud.
