A thief goes through trash to find discarded receipts or carbons, and then uses your account numbers illegally.
A dishonest clerk makes an extra imprint from your credit or charge card and uses it to make personal charges.
You respond to a mailing asking you to call a long distance number for a free trip or bargain-priced travel package. You're told you must join a travel club first and you're asked for your account number so you can be billed.
The catch! Charges you didn't make are added to your bill, and you never get your trip.
Credit and charge card fraud costs cardholders and issuers hundreds of
millions of dollars each year. While theft is the most obvious form of fraud,
it can occur in other ways. For example, someone may use your card number
without your knowledge.
It's not always possible to prevent credit or
charge card fraud from happening. But there are a few
steps you can take to make it more difficult for a crook to capture your card
or card numbers and minimize the possibility.
Guarding Against Fraud
Here are some tips to help protect yourself from
credit and charge card fraud.
Do:
- Sign your cards as soon as
they arrive.
- Carry your cards separately
from your wallet, in a zippered compartment, a business card holder, or
another small pouch.
- Keep a record of your account
numbers, their expiration dates, and the phone number and address of each
company in a secure place.
- Keep an eye on your card
during the transaction, and get it back as quickly as possible.
- Save receipts to compare with
billing statements.
- Open bills promptly and
reconcile accounts monthly, just as you would your checking account.
- Report any questionable
charges promptly and in writing to the card issuer.
- Notify card companies in
advance of a change in address.
Don't
- Lend your card(s) to anyone.
- Leave cards or receipts lying
around.
- Sign a blank receipt. When
you sign a receipt, draw a line through any blank spaces above the total.
- Write your account number on
a postcard or the outside of an envelope.
- Give out your account number
over the phone unless you're making the call to a
company you know is reputable. If you have questions about a company,
check it out with your local consumer protection office or Better Business
Bureau.
Reporting Losses and Fraud
If you lose your credit or charge cards or if you realize they've been lost or stolen, immediately call the issuer(s). Many companies have
toll-free numbers and 24-hour service to deal with such emergencies. By law,
once you report the loss or theft, you have no further responsibility for
unauthorized charges. In any event, your maximum liability under federal law is
$50 per card.
If you suspect fraud, you may be asked to sign a
statement under oath that you did not make the purchase(s) in question.
If you have been a victim of credit card fraud, let us help you!
- We can tell you who to notify.
- We will provide a letter which you can show to creditors and law enforcement showing that you have hired a licensed Investigative Agency to help you.
- We can often determine the identity of the party who has stolen your ID, and will provide this information in the form of a report, which you can take to law enforcement authorities.
Please call us if your identity has been stolen. We will locate criminals who steal your identify and expedite restoring of your credit rating.
We serve Agoura, Calabasas, Chatsworth, Van Nuys, Sherman Oaks, Studio City, Tarzana, North Hollywood, West Hills, Canoga Park, Reseda, North Hills, Beverly Hills, Bel Air, Malibu, Redondo Beach, Manhattan Beach, El Segundo, San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles, Whittier, San Gabriel, El Monte, Pasadena, Arcadia, Glendale, La Crescenta, Sierra Madre, Oxnard, Ventura, Simi Valley, Valencia, Santa Clarita, San Franscisco, Monterey, Oakland, Walnut Creek, Fresno and elsewhere in Southern California, Northern California and nationally.
|
