Taking Care with Your Credit Card Details

When you use your credit cards for shopping, you do have to be really careful about releasing any of the details associated with the card. The increase in online shopping has given rise to many fraudulent sites that steal your information and you don't realize it until you receive your statement to find transactions that you didn’t authorize or carry out. Not only is this an inconvenience in having to cancel your card but you also have to wait to receive reimbursement for these fraudulent charges.

When shopping online you have to make sure that the site you use is secure. Such sites are usually denoted by https. This means that when you enter your information the software on the site encrypts the data so that others using the server on the page cannot gain access to your private information. It is also important that when you do enter your credit card information online that you do so on your own computer rather than one that is shared among many users. You should also clear your browser cache from time to time to ensure that someone else cannot see what pages you accessed and try to gain access to your credit card in this way

Have you received any phone calls in which you are asked for your credit card information? One of the examples of recent events in credit card fraud involves phone calls in which consumers are told they can save money on their interest rates. When they give the details of their credit cards thinking they are going to save money, they find that the caller has actually gained the information needed to max out the cards. Another call consumers receive is one telling that they have won a trip but they have to give their credit card to ensure the confirmation of the prize. Again there is no prize – only fraud

You should think carefully about giving out any personal information and your credit card number to any unsolicited calls. It is best to ask the caller for information so that you can return the call to confirm the details. In most cases, the caller will not do so and will often end the phone call. When you use your card over the phone, you should be very wary about how much information you provide. Some of the details fraudsters can use to gain access to your account include the three-digit code following your account number on the back of the card and your mother’s maiden name

In recent months, consumers in the UK have been the subject of fraudulent emails from persons claiming to be from HM Revenue and Customs. In these email, consumers are told that they are entitled to a tax refund and in order to claim this money they must enter their credit card details. The government will never contact you by email and will never ask for a credit card number. However, there have been many consumers who have fallen for this and have lost large amounts of money

The same thing applies to an email that claims to come from the HM Revenue and Customs. UK residents have received such emails telling them that their tax returns have been reviewed and that they are entitled to an additional refund that will be paid to their credit card account. The government will never contact you in this manner and will only do so in writing. Disregard such emails and delete them from your computer