Credit Card protection guarantee Review - Get
the best credit cards that guarantee you are safe and protected against
online credit card fraud.
Plastic
card crime cost the UK more than £410 million in 2001 - but the
financial loss is just part of the story.
Here is a BBC short video about credit card fraud online
Being without the
use of your plastic cards, for however short a time, can be extremely
inconvenient. Just as important are the other personal items that can go
missing when cards are stolen, such as house or car keys, driving
licences, diaries, address books, family photographs, and other
valuables.
A criminal can quickly
spend hundreds or even thousands of pounds using your card or its details -
often before you are aware that anything is amiss. More worryingly, funds from
plastic card fraud may be used to support organised crime such as drug
trafficking.
To help protect
yourself from becoming a victim of card fraud, Card Watch suggests you follow
these top tips -
- Guard your card
- Don't let it out of
your sight when making a transaction.
- Carefully discard
receipts from card transactions - shred them if possible to prevent 'bin
divers' from acquiring information about you and your cards
- Check your receipts
against your statements carefully. If you find an unfamiliar transaction
contact your card issuer immediately.
- Never write down your
Personal Identification Number (PIN) and never disclose it to anyone, even if
they claim to be from your card issuer or the police.
- When using a cash
machine, be wary of anyone who might be trying to watch you enter your PIN and
do not allow yourself to be distracted by anyone trying to talk to you.
- Report lost or stolen
cards to your card issuer immediately. The 24-hour emergency number is on your
last statement or call directory enquiries on 192.
Other important
tips…
- Sign any new cards as
soon as they arrive. Ensure that you cut up the old cards as soon as the new
ones become valid.
- Don't keep you cheque
book with your cards.
- If you carry a bag,
carry it firmly with the clasp towards you. A money belt or secure inside
pocket is best for valuables.
- Don't leave cards
unattended in a bag, briefcase or jacket pocket in a public place and keep
your bag or briefcase on your lap.
- At work keep your bag
and other personal belongings locked in a cupboard or drawer.
Credit Card Safety
online
The Internet offers users
the opportunity to bank and shop in safety at their convenience. There is no
reason why it should not be used with confidence, but users should not relax
their guard when they are online.
For instance, users should
be more suspicious of an email from an unfamiliar source than a stranger
knocking at the front door because it is much harder for you to ask the email
sender to prove they are who they say they are.
There are two main email
scams in use and Card Watch has produced some tips to help users stay
safe online.
Email
scams - Spoof websites
How it works
Typically an email claiming to be from a bank, or other well known company
trading on the Internet, will inform you of a problem with your account, or that
charges will be made to your credit card, or even that someone wants to send you
money! These spam emails are sent out randomly and may look very convincing.
The email will request
that you follow a link to the bank's website where you will be asked to provide
a range of information such as your credit card number, personal identification
number (PIN), passwords or personal information such as mother's maiden name.
Clicking on the link,
however, will actually take you to a spoof website operated by the fraudster who
will collate any information that is inputted by you for their own fraudulent
use.
Email scams - Funds
transfer scams
How it works
Fraudsters have recently started to send out spam emails and post fake job
adverts on recruitment websites which offer low risk money making opportunities
to individuals willing to act as their agents in the UK.
The fraudster poses as a
legitimate company that is setting up operations in the UK. Individuals who
decide to take up the offer are asked to provide their bank account details so
that they can receive payments and then send the money overseas, less a certain
commission which they can keep. The fraudster often seeks individuals with
accounts at specific banks, or encourages them to open new bank accounts to
participate in this scam.
Stay on your guard
Fraudsters will make great efforts to create realistic looking websites by
copying logos and putting in links to the genuine website. Although the spoof
emails and websites may appear very convincing, you should always be wary of
unsolicited emails which try to worry you with security scares or offer the
opportunity to make some easy money.
If you receive any emails
claiming to be from a bank or other well known company, stop and think whether
they would really write to you in this manner. The emails will often contain
spelling or grammatical errors, or unusual words or phrases. There may also be
signs that the website is not genuine, such as a different or disguised web
address, new browser windows where you can't see the address, or no use of a
padlock to show a secure session.
Examples of email scams
An email is sent detailing
one of the following scenarios:
- 'Security update: Our
new security system will help you to avoid fraudulent transactions and to keep
your investments safe. Due to a technical update we recommend you reactivate
your account'.
- 'Your Visa account:
Your VISA debit account has been inactive for more than three months. In order
to confirm your membership with us and avoid account cancellation we will
transfer a random amount between 0.25 GBP and 0.99 GBP into your debit card'.
- 'Job in UK: The company
deals with many overseas partners, but for the time being we have offices only
in Russia and in the USA. At the moment we receive a lot of orders from the
United Kingdom. So we are looking for agents…Our clients stipulate that they
pay for our services only in UK banks such as…'.
Card Watch advises
web users follow these tips to help them stay safe online:
- Know who you are
dealing with - Always access internet banking by typing the bank's address
into your web browser. Never go to a website from a link in an email and enter
personal details. If in doubt, contact the bank separately on an advertised
telephone number.
- Keep passwords and PINs
safe - Always be wary of unsolicited emails or calls asking you to disclose
any personal details or card numbers. Keep this information secret. Be wary of
disclosing any personal information to someone you do not know. Your bank and
the police would never contact you to ask you to disclose PINs or all your
password information.
- Keep hold of your cash!
- Do not be conned by convincing emails offering you the chance to make some
easy money. If it looks too good to be true it probably is. Be especially wary
of unsolicited emails from outside the UK - it will be much harder to prove
the sender is who they say they are.
- Keep your PC secure -
Use up-to-date anti-virus software and a personal firewall and if your
computer uses the Microsoft Windows operating system, keep it updated from the
Microsoft website. Be extra careful if using Internet cafes or any PC which is
not your own and over which you have no control.
- Check your bank's
website - If in doubt, a good place to get help and guidance on how to stay
safe online is your bank's website. Check regularly for specific information
and guidance on protecting your PC and yourself online.
- Check your statement -
If you notice anything irregular on your account contact your bank
immediately.
The source for this useful information with many thanks is
Cardwatch.
http://mocda.com/1/c/221477/159833/339381/339381
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