Every one of us is not immune
to identity theft, right?
However if you equipped with a
little knowledge about how identity thieves works and a little good sense
probably you may stay one step ahead of
them.
For we know that credit card
identity theft could be a very high problem. In today’s world of increasing
credit card usage, it is no longer a rare instance where a criminal may be able
to make use of your credit card for his own advantage.
How Does
Identity Theft Happen?
Credit card identity theft may happen
in a variety of ways. Almost everyone using a credit card could be a potential victim.
Identity theft occurs when a
criminal acquires your personal information
such as your complete name, Social Security number, date of birth and
address. With all business and financial
transactions are over and done with computers and online means, it has made
information very valuable as well as very vulnerable to theft.
Your private
information has come to be a very valuable asset. Once the criminal has acquired
your private information, he or she can commit identity theft by taking control
of your current credit accounts or opening new ones. Many individual called this
as identity fraud.
Identity theft is mainly the
act of using your personal information without your information to commit fraud
or other crimes. On credit card identity theft, it could mean that such fraudsters
may use your account for their personal purchases.
Could Possibly Stop
Credit Card Identity Theft?
Prevention is your first step things
to do, it could be wise to review and check your monthly statements from your financial
accounts. The earlier you catch an error, the easier it is to resolve it.
Absolutely, balancing your
checkbook may seem like a boring task, but then understanding where your cash
goes it will support you in spotting any irregular withdrawals or charges.
Go over your credit card bill every
month is crucial as well, particularly if you’ve a lot of charges and purchases
on your credit card. Just in case you’ve
not already, this may be a best time to sign up for online accounts. It’s a stress-free
and more rapidly to review accounts online, on a computer you trust.
If you handout your credit card
to servers at restaurants, you might be making yourself exposed to identity
theft. To avoid this, take extra vigilant to your credit card when you use it.
Be careful to never list your complete
date of birth, home address and telephone number to any social networking sites
like for example in Facebook, Myspace and so on.
Your personal information would
be on your own safeguard because a lot of crimes can be committed using your
own records.
Identity theft can be a very troubling
and pricey problem. It is all the more important of trying to maintain your
credit information from getting into the wrong hands.
You must try not to give your
personal information to anyone without checking out on them. Make sure that you
trust your personal records only to people and institutions that you can trust.
Take the necessary precautions measures
on making sure that you still have control of your credit accounts.
Always be aware of your credit
reports and see to it that you are aware of anything out of the ordinary that
may come up on your credit records such as purchases that you haven’t made
yourself.
Try to report any inconsistencies
directly to the authorities. You can even have your account temporarily blocked
in order to prevent further losses.
Do not forget to report it to
the fraud agencies in your area so that everything can be done to apprehend and
arrest the offenders as early as possible.
Remember, the way you give out
your personal information can have its corresponding consequences. Always be
careful and be on the alert before you ever regret what you might have done.
Labels: Credit Card Fraud, Safety and Security Tips