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Preventing Credit Card and Check Fraud
In an age when monetary transactions are increasingly being conducted electronically, consumers are learning that crime evolves along with technology. Please review and follow the recommended safety tips to reduce your chances of becoming a victim of credit card and check fraud.
1. Safety Tips for using Credit Cards:
Check your credit cards frequently to make sure they are in your possession and have not been taken or switched. The fewer cards you have, the easier it is to know their whereabouts.
Keep a personal record of all your credit card account numbers; such as, Visa-Bank America, the card number and where to call to report it lost or stolen. This can save you valuable time if you discover a card lost or stolen and you need to report it quickly. This list should be in a safe place, yet be accessible.
Do not carry a written form of any personal identification numbers in the same location as credit cards or ATM cards.
Always sign the back of all credit cards. Additionally, you can write "Check ID" next to your signature. This will clue the merchant to ask for a second form of identification.
2. Safety Tips for using RFID Credit Cards:
Are you using the next-generation credit cards that dispense with the hassle of drawing your magnetic card through a swiper? If you have one or are thinking about obtaining a "RFID" enabled Credit Card, you may want to take a moment and read the following:
What are RFID Credit Cards?
Traditional credit cards require visual access or direct physical contact to retrieve information such as the card-holders name and account number. Recently, some companies have begun using RFID (Radio Frequency Identifier) and smart card technology which requires no actual contact in order to transmit this same information. Instead, each card contains a tiny wireless computer chip and antenna that is energized and interrogated by a reader. As many as 20 million of these RFID credit cards and 150,000 vendor readers have already been distributed in the U.S., and according to Visa USA, "This has been the fastest acceptance of new payment technology in the history of the industry."
Credit card companies offering RFID-enabled cards are quick to tout that their information is safeguarded by sophisticated cryptography. Unfortunately, some recent studies have indicated that data is able to be lifted from these cards with almost alarming ease. Remembering that no physical contact is necessary for transmission to take place, tests were conducted with commercially available skimmers where information was able to be retrieved from distances as great as 30 and 70 feet. With the right technology, someone could potentially walk into a crowded room and fill one of these devices with the personal data of everyone in possession of an unprotected RFID credit card. In this instance, no one would even be aware that their identity had been stolen.
How can I protect myself?
Use cash when able to do so.
Try to keep an eye on your credit card at all times, if possible.
Retrieve your credit card immediately after every transaction.
Keep your receipts.
Review your account statements carefully, and notify your financial institution immediately of any discrepancies.
Be on the lookout for portable skimming devices.
When using RFID credit cards, purchase a "shield" (Faraday Cage) for the card or use a Scanner-Proof Wallet.
3. Safety Tips When Writing Checks and Mailing Your Bills:
Always use black or dark ballpoint pen ink when writing a check. Try to fill up all the space on the payee line and dollar line either by drawing a line or writing larger.
Always try to write the full name of the business/company you are writing a check to. Try not to use abbreviations such as GTE, etc.
Never leave your outgoing mail in the mail box. You never know who will be coming by to pick it up other than the postman.
Put your mail in mail boxes early in the morning or before the last pickup of the day. Avoid dropping your mail in the mail box at night or after the last pickup. Better yet, when possible, drive to local post office and deposit your mail inside.
If you collect Social Security checks, arrange for an automatic deposit at your bank.
When you close a bank account, tear up all unused checks.
When ordering checks, ask for an estimated day of arrival from your bank. If they are late, notify the bank asap.
Do not have your drivers license number printed on your checks. This ensures that merchants will ask for proper ID, which deters would-be criminals.
Closely check each monthly statement against your receipts.
Be aware of "check days" on the first and 15th of the month. Dont leave financial mail in your mailbox for long periods of time.
Let your carrier know where you need parcels delivered if you want them left when youre not home.
Never leave outgoing mail containing financial information in your mailbox. Put it in a blue street mailbox or bring it to a local post office.
Dont let mail pile up during vacations.
This tip provided by Division of Consumer Services, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services as a courtesy of Brevard County Sheriff's Office and BrevardWatch.com
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