Don’t Let Others Get Hold Of Your Credit Card Details

When you use your credit cards for shopping, you do have to be really careful about releasing any of the details associated with the card. The increase in online shopping has given rise to many fraudulent sites that steal your information and you don’t realize it until you receive your statement to find transactions that you didn’t authorize or carry out. Not only is this an inconvenience in having to cancel your card but you also have to wait to receive reimbursement for these fraudulent charges.

When a fraudulent person gets his/her hands on your credit card quite often all that is required is a signature, rather than a PIN number. You may have a PIN number to use when you want to get a cash advance on the card through an ATM machine. There are other personal details associated with the card that you should keep secret and not divulge to anyone. These include the answers to personal questions that you choose, the most common of which is your mother’s maiden name. The three additional digits after the account number on the back of your card are also very important and a person who already knows your credit card number can do untold damage with this information

Always know where your credit card is. If you usually keep it in your wallet, make sure you have a good hold on this wallet. When you are going out at night to a crowded club, it is best to use cash and leave your credit card at home. This will reduce the temptation of using the card when you don’t really need to and will keep it safe from thieves who can quite quickly steal your card.  When you do enter your PIN number at a store to make a purchase make sure you do guard the number with your hand so that it can’t be seen by cameras of those standing in line behind you

There has been an increase in the number of calls people in the UK have been receiving of late requesting details of their credit cards promising to get them a better interest rate. These are not legitimate calls. If you do receive one of these calls, you should ask the caller for the name of the company and the telephone number so that you can return the call. Chances are you won’t get the information and the caller will likely hang up.

The Institute of Chartered Accountants in the UK has issued warnings about responding to unsolicited phone calls and emails asking for such information. In spite of these warnings, many UK residents have fallen for the fraudsters’ tricks and have given out the requested information. Banks and financial institutions will never call or email you asking for such information. You should be suspicious of any phone calls or emails that require you to give the details of your credit card

Fake emails, called phishing scams, are also ways in which unscrupulous persons can gain access to your credit card. One example of such an email is one that looks as if it is a legitimate one from your bank or credit card company telling you that you have to update your personal information. If you do so, then you give these people unlimited access to your account and can cost you a lot of money.