When Credit Card Gets Lost

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Balance Transfer Credit Cards
There's been a lot of press lately about the demise of balance transfer credit cards. The reports of their death, to use an old quote, have been greatly exaggerated. Balance transfer credit cards have changed considerably, but they're far from gone and not likely to be going anywhere anytime soon. If you've been considering cutting your interest payments by transferring the balances on your high i... Read credit cards article



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When Credit Card Gets Lost
With credit card fraud and banking violations dominating the news headlines at least once every month, consumers are becoming increasingly worried that their credit cards might be abused or stolen; worse yet, many consumers do not know what immediate steps to take if their credit card is lost of stolen. In order to minimise the personal damage to consumers of lost or stolen credit cards, make sure you follow a particular set of practical steps.

It is important that as soon as you are aware of your credit card being lost, stolen or misused, you immediately report the matter to your credit card company by phone or in person. Consult the written credit card agreement that you were given when your card was first issues in order to find the name, address and phone number of the person you need to contact in the event of credit card loss or misuse. However, if this information isn't clearly set out in this agreement, consumers will not be personally held liable for any misuse of the card. Further, once your credit card company is aware that your card has been lost or stolen, you will not be held liable for any misuse on the card after this. Often, credit card companies need oral confirmation of your credit card loss within seven days after you report it; and this should always be followed by a written notice in order to make the telephone notice more effective.

It is important to keep in mind that the extent of consumer liability for credit card loss or misuse varies widely, depending on the circumstance. For instance, if your credit card is misused by a person who had the credit card with your permission, or someone who is regularly authorised to use your card, you liability is unlimited. But if your card has been stolen and you report it missing immediately, the situation is slightly different; that is, if the card has been misused by the person who stole it to buy goods online, you will be liable for the full amount; but if they have used it to buy goods in a high street retail chain or department store, you'll be liable for a fraction of the amount they spent.

If you do lose your credit card or are aware that it has been misused, the stress inflicted on your financial and emotional state can make it difficult to take the right actions at the right time. However, make sure you keep a level head and follow the practical steps listed above in order to minimise the extent of damage. Many credit card companies have different ways of dealing with consumer loss or card misuse, so making credit card choices can be confusing; thankfully, many consumer credit card comparison sites, like Moneynet, exist to help you come to the best decision. Additionally, many reputable and established credit card providers, like Barclaycard, will provide you with a detailed agreement if you sign up for one of their credit cards - so you'll definitely know what steps to take if your card is lost, stolen or the subject of misuse.

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Prevent Credit Card Fraud

Many people are wary about using their credit cards, especially online, because of the possibility of becoming a victim of fraud. While fraud does happen, and costs hundreds of millions every year, there are some simple steps you can take to protect yourself and make it unlikely that you'll become a victim.

- Online use

The most important rule to follow is to only use your card online at trusted, secure sites. You can recognize a secure site by looking for a yellow padlock symbol appearing in your browser, and also by the address starting with 'https' rather than 'http'. Sites secured like this encrypt all the information sent back and forth to your browser, meaning that it's very dificult indeed for someone to spy out your credit card details.

Also make sure you're confident of the identity of the site asking for your details. Avoid any sites that send you an email asking for your card details - they might not be who they claim to be. It's better to phone the company direct to make sure their request is genuine.

You should never give out your card details in an email, as there is no encryption involved and there's always the danger that a fraudster could intercept your message and gain your details.

Finally in this section, make sure that your virus protection is up to date and that your computer is clean of any 'spyware'.

- Offline use

If at all possible, don't let the card out of your sight when paying, to reduce the opportunity for a fraudster to make a copy of your card. This is easier nowadays with the arrival of the handheld chip and pin input devices that are brought, for example, to your table in a restaurant.

It's advisable not to send card details by fax, as you've no control over how long the fax will be left unattended at the receiving end. A faxed copy of your card number, expiry date, security code and signature makes it altogether to easy for a scammer!

Only give your credit card number over the telephone if it was you who made the call, and you're certain that you're speaking to a genuine person. If someone calls you claiming to be from a company you deal with, and asks for your details, ask for a phone number to call them back on - via a switchboard operator if possible - and verify that the number is correct.

- General

There are several other measures you can take to reduce the chances of becoming a victim of credit card fraud, and most them are pretty much common sense. You should sign any new or replacement cards as soon as you receive them, and cut up the expired cards making sure to cut through the magnetic band on the back.

Never keep your pin numbers written down in your wallet or purse, as if you lose it or it's stolen a fraudster will have both your cards and their pins. Also, report any stolen or lost cards to the issuer immediately, so that they can be cancelled before falling into the wrong hands.

Open your statements and bills as soon as you receive them, and check them carefully for anything you don't recognise. If you spot something you're unsure of, call your card company straight away and ask them for more details. After checking your statements, either file them away somewhere safe, or shred or burn them. Never simply throw them away - they contain far too much valuable information that can be used for fraud purposes.

All this might seem like a lot of work, but remember that with most credit card accounts you won't be held liable for any fraudulent use so long as the fraud hasn't happened through your own negligence. Following the steps above is very powerful evidence to the card issuer that you've done everything possible to protect your account's security, so if you're unfortunate to become a fraud victim then the financial damage to you will be kept as small as possible.

Michael writes for Card Sense UK where you can compare credit cards and their features including balance transfers and rewards schemes. Visit today!




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When Credit Card Gets Lost
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