Here are some handy tips on dos and don'ts
to prevent your credit card from being fraudulently abused by wrong
hands:
Sign on your new credit card upon
arrival. If you do not, people can just easily sign with their own
signature and use it.
Sign it with permanent
ink to reduce the possibilities of your signature being modified.
Treat it like cash. Keep it
with you anytime at any place.
Keep your security code only to
yourself. Never reveal it to anyone.
Keep an eye on every transaction.
Do not leave it with the merchant without
your company.
Do not give your card details
over the phone, no matter how convincing is the statements by the
other party on the phone. It is not a common practice for legitimate
companies to call you and ask for the details over the
phone.
Do not respond to emails asking for
your card details. Never click on the hyperlink which claims to be sent
by your bank to verify the details. It may link
you to a phishing site.
When making payment online, make sure
you are at a secure site. Do not proceed if you are not confident or
you do not have enough information of the site.
Retain your receipts after making
your purchase to check back with the statement.
Check your card statement
promptly. The best is as soon as you receive them.
Report to the card company on
any unfamiliar transaction found in your statement.
Do not leave your card or the
statements lying around. This will highly expose yourself to fraud if
somebody breaks in your house.
Shred your credit card statement
before dispose of. It may have sensitive information
which may lead to fraud.
Notify your card companies of
any change of address to prevent your statements falling into wrong
hands.
Do not carry too many cards in your
wallet. Bring only those you use frequently.
Do not keep the pin
number with your credit card in the wallet to prevent fraud should you
lose your wallet.
Report loss of cards to your credit
card companies immediately to deactivate the lost cards.
Do not sign on a blank credit card receipt. Draw a line through the
blank portion, so additional charges could not be added fraudulently.
Limit its use only to yourself. Do not give permission
to anybody else to use it.
Choose a card company with
good reputation on security.