How to Protect Yourself From Credit Card Theft

How to Protect Yourself From Credit Card Theft

With the increasing advancements in technology over the past few years, more and more people are taking advantage of online shopping and communication opportunities. Nowadays, you can simply go to a website, type in a few numbers and items will appear at your doorstep. Along with the convenience of utilizing online resources to purchase products and services comes more opportunity for thieves to steal others' online money, using the information from either online tracking to obtain your credit card information.

Not only do thieves have the ability to hack into online systems and take money from your account with your account information, but there are also other ways for others to obtain your banking information, from dumpster diving to scam calling you in an attempt to get you to give up your account. With all of this in mind, it's become more important than ever to make sure your information is safe and protected. But how exactly can you do this? Here are a few things you can do to protect yourself from credit card theft.

Don’t Give Away Info

One of the best and most vital ways to protect yourself from credit card theft is to refrain from giving away any of your account or billing information. This may seem obvious, but many people don’t immediately recognize the credit card scams that are on the market. Above all, you’ll never want to give out your credit card information to anyone through your phone. Whether you’re physically talking to someone on the phone using your voice or you’re texting someone, you should never say or type your account information to anyone. Cell phone conversations can easily be hacked into and you can never be too sure of who exactly you’re talking to through the phone (1).

Some experienced hackers and scammers are aware of people’s tendencies to not so easily give out their bank information, so they move on to more sneaky tactics. For instance, some scammers may offer you great deals on things through the phone, asking for your information by enticing you to take them up on their offer. Others may simply text you information about a deal and then include a hyperlink for you to click on and then hack your phone. Some hackers may even straight out pretend to be your banking institution or some other trusted corporation and ask for your information. Regardless of their tactic, never give your information over the phone.

Frequently Check Statements

Another great way to both prevent credit card theft and catch it from occurring early on is to always remain aware of the balance in your account. With a credit card, it’s so easy to simply swipe your card and then forget about purchases that you’ve made, so someone may be using your credit card to purchase other items without you even noticing. By regularly checking your banking statements in the mail and keeping track of all the receipts of things you purchase, you can more easily notice whenever purchases on your statements don’t add up right (1).

Furthermore, mobile credit card processing has made checking your statements and balances even easier. Instead of waiting for your banking statements to come in the mail or calling the number on the back of your card, most banks offer a mobile app that allows to you check your account within a few clicks. Doing this will give you the peace of mind needed to ensure your credit card is only within your hands.

Get Rid of Sensitive Information

Lastly, simply preventing anyone else from ever getting the chance to steal any of your banking information is the best way to prevent yourself from experiencing credit card theft. One of the easiest ways to get rid of any sensitive information is to shred paper documents that show your account or routing numbers. Shred documents with any numbers expressing anything to do with your account, and make sure that you don’t write your account or routing number anywhere.

Sometimes people write their banking information on a small sheet of paper or scrap piece of mail so they can more easily transfer it to somewhere online or remember it. But you’ll have to throw that scrap paper in the trash at some point, so it’s just best to never write your information anywhere and to properly dispose of any bank information (1).

Overall, credit card theft can happen to practically anyone with a credit card, making it extremely important for all of us to ensure we take the right steps to prevent it. Keep all of your banking information to your eyes only, always keep track of what you’re spending your money on, and properly dispose of any banking information you don’t need anymore. Always be on the lookout, as you never know if it could happen to you.