Credit card fraud is increasingly common with the widespread use of the internet and credit cards. Not a few consumers are surprised because suddenly credit card bills swell when he is not shopping, or credit cards used to pay other bills that are not hers.
Cases like this happen because of identity theft. The culprit created malicious software to steal account information and passwords of Internet users while shopping online, perform banking transactions or respond to fake emails asking for confirmation of account numbers.
On the black market (underground market), many credit card numbers are traded. Thieves from all over the world can freely purchase their account numbers, then be abused. For example, charging a bill to your account.
No single institution can guarantee that we will not be the victims of credit card fraud. Therefore better preventive measures are taken to secure your credit card.
Here are tips on how to shop securely with a credit card
Secure data
1. Never disclose personal financial information, such as credit card numbers, by phone or email. Moreover, store sensitive data on a public computer or on the website. The company will never request such information by phone or email.
When shopping online, there are at most four data requested from you: credit card number, card expiration date, card security code (three or four on the back of credit card), and shipping address. If you get strange emails related to orders and request other data, you should suspect it's a scam.
2. Complete when using a credit card. Save all your grocery receipts until you receive a monthly bill report, then match them. Be sure to have contact information from the credit card company you use. If at any time you become a victim of fraud, immediately contact the company.
3. Know who you are buying from. How, do a little research on the internet, find out about the company/merchant and products you want to buy. See if there are many consumers who complain to the merchant including the case of credit card fraud. Sites like eBay usually provide feedback so buyers can share their experiences. When you search for a company name and product, then you do not find anything on the internet, better not buy it. Information on hold, all that needs to be done is view.
4. Use only one credit card to transact online for easy tracking if there is theft.
Travel smart. When traveling abroad, use one credit card only. To avoid unwanted things, tell your credit card company to go to which country and ask them to let you know if there is any unusual activity on your credit card. Do not get bills from other countries if you never shop and go there. Some credit card companies offer warnings, sending information about the unusual activity to your phone or email.
6. Do not pay bills online on a public computer or on a wireless or public Wi-Fi network unless the network is secure or you use a VPN (Virtual Private Network).
7. Avoid using debit cards to transact online. Because your money will be cut short if you become a victim of fraud. In addition, the debit card protection laws differ from credit cards.
Also, Secure Your Computer
1. Complete your computer with antivirus and anti-spyware programs. Especially if you often shop online and do online banking transactions. In addition to avoiding keyloggers (spy programs that can record what you type on the computer), also to prevent your computer is converted into a computer 'zombie' that is controlled by hackers.
2. Beware of phishing emails - ie emails made as if they are from an official bank or financial institution, ask for account information or direct you to a fake site that requires you to log in.
3. Try to type the URL of the shopping site directly in the address bar. Do not trust the links you get from an email just like that (or from forums) because it could be a phishing URL.
If the site does not start "https", it may not be safe to use for credit cards. Another feature that shows the level of security of a site if you want to use the card is there is a padlock or VeriSign at the bottom of the pages of the site. Both show that the site has been using encryption to protect your data.