6 Steps to Avoid Credit Card and Debit Card Scams

 

How often have you seen charges that ranges from $2-$30 and for a second you wondered what the charge was but ignored it.  Don’t!  This is a sign that you may have a victim of fraud.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has been cracking down on debit card scams.  However, most of the charges are not disputed. In addition, some charges are not detected by bank antifraud software. Some customers do not bother to dispute fraudulent charges or unaware of them. Here are 6 ways to protect your personal and business credit and debit cards from fraud.

Follow Your Intuition

Go with your gut feeling. Don't doubt yourself. 

Avoid Giving Out Personal Information

Do not give out your checking account number, tax id, personal or credit card or debit number over the phone or via email unless you know the company and understand why the information is necessary.

Verify the Caller

If someone says they are taping your call, ask why. Don't be afraid to ask questions.

Verify the Company Policies

Companies do not ask for your bank account information unless you have expressly agreed to this payment method.

Do Business With Well Know Companies

Do business with reputable companies.  Be sure the company website has a physical address that is verifiable and a phone number that is answered by a live person.  Verify the company phone number in the Verizon online yellow pages or conduct an internet search on the phone number. 

Report Fraud Immediately

Report the fraud to the FTC at ftc.gov by filling out an identity theft complaint form. Also report the fraud to your bank or financial institution.

Beware of Credit and Debit Card Scams

I was a victim of identity theft on my business debit card. Two fraudulent charges were made on my business account - both were under $10. How often have you seen charges that range from $2-$10 and for a second you wondered what the charge was but ignored it. Well I did just that.

The first charge I saw I assumed it was correct but I saw a similar charge two months later around the same amount of the first charge. I never bought anything from the company. I looked at all my receipts and bank statements. I researched the company. I called and let a voicemail message and never got a call back. The automated message stated they were busy helping other customers and to leave a message. I further researched the company phone number and other customers had been victims of fraud by the same company. It was a bogus company. I had been scammed.

I contacted my bank and told them of the fraud. They immediately placed an alert on my account and after 2 business days the charges were credited back to my account which totaled $18.98. If I never investigated these charges, the charges could have continued for years. My business account is with one of the largest banks in the country. I am going to open a new business account with another bank tomorrow.

The FTC has been cracking down on debit card scams. The FTC is investigating an international micropayment scam that stole almost $10 million from customers' credit and debit cards. Over 1 million credit cards were used to make fraudulent charges. Most of the charges were not disputed. The FTC closed down phony merchant accounts used by the scammers.

The charges were not detected by bank antifraud software. Some customers didn't bother to dispute the low charges. The identity thieves charges approximately $9.5 million over a 4-year period of four year starting in 2006. Here are 6 ways to protect your personal and business credit and debit cards from fraud.

1. Go with your gut feeling. Don't doubt yourself.

2. Don't give out your checking account number, tax id, personal or business credit card number over the phone unless you know the company and understand why the information is necessary.

3. If someone says they are taping your call, ask why. Don't be afraid to ask questions.

4. Companies do not ask for your bank account information unless you have expressly agreed to this payment method.

5. Do business with reputable companies. Be sure the company website has a physical address that is verifiable and a phone number that is answered by a live person. Verify the company phone number in the Verizon online yellow pages or do an internet search on the phone number.

6. Report the fraud to the FTC at ftc.gov by filling out an identity theft complaint form.

Credit Report Scams

From Dave Ramsey's website.

Credit Report Scam

By Erica in Texas
A couple of years ago my husband and I were finally able to start paying off some bad credit that both of us created before we met. So I saw a TV ad for the Free Credit Report website. I thought how wonderful, I could check to see who we needed to contact for our credit issues, and we could mend some old, bad habits.
I went to the website to sign up for the "free" credit report. I read all the fine print - or so I thought. About 20 days later when I went to pay for some groceries, my debit card was denied. So embarrassing. I went home and called our bank. Come to find out there were charges from a company in California that exceeded $250!

I was shocked and asked the bank for the company's information. I contacted them and found out that when I gave them my bank information, they signed me up for a credit watch. I was furious and demanded that they send me a contract showing I allowed them to do this. Several phone calls later, they still couldn't tell me where I had agreed to this service, so they said they would refund the money and stop the service. I stupidly believed them. A month later, no refund, and this time I was charged twice for this service. I tried to get a hold of the company but no answer.

Finally I just cancelled my bank account, so no further charges...but no refund either. $750 later, I have no more dealings with this company. I later told my sister in-law about the story, and she told me she too had dealt with them and lost money as well.

Now I know I can get a REAL free credit report on the internet from the credit bureaus. Get this now. I don't purchase anything on the internet unless I call the company first and get the real story.