Keeping credit card fraud in check

  • Published
  • By 17th Training Wing Public Affairs
GOODFELLOW AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  With a swipe of a credit card one can pay for just about anything, from lunch to a home mortgage.

While technology makes our daily lives more convenient, we are also more vulnerable to crime.

According to U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division, in the last few months there have been an unusual amount of credit card fraud cases at Goodfellow as well as Presidio of Monterey, Calif.

The Presidio of Monterey Police and the Army CID are doing a joint investigation with the help of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations and other law enforcement organizations to determine the cause of these thefts.

While we are hopeful that justice will be served, here are some helpful hints and habits, one can take, regarding the use of the credit card.

SHRED OLD CREDIT CARD BILLS AND RECEIPTS:
Always lock away or shred any bills and receipts that have credit card numbers before discarding them in the garbage. Use a cross-cut shredder instead of a strip or ribbon-cut shredder, which leaves you with small particles that look like confetti.

IF YOUR CREDIT CARD IS LOST, STOLEN OR HAS BEEN MISUSED, REPORT IT RIGHT AWAY:
If you lose your wallet or suspect that it has been stolen, don't wait until it is too late to report it. If you find a charge that you (or your family members) didn't make on your credit card, report it. Call the card issuer's 24-hour customer service immediately and have them cancel the card. It is recommended that you follow up the phone call with a letter via registered mail so that there is proof you have informed them. Make sure to include the account number, when the card was missing, and the date the loss was reported. If the credit card is reported stolen after the thief has used it, one will only have to pay a maximum of $50 under U.S. federal law. Some credit cards even include a $0 liability benefit for unauthorized transactions.

Different banks have different policies concerning disputes - including how long they will take to investigate disputed charges, and how soon after a reported fraud they "temporarily credit" an account. This is the main difference between a credit and debit card.

The problem with debit card fraud is that if the card is stolen and someone drains the checking account, all of the money is gone for the time it takes a claim to be investigated and account reimbursed.

If you discover your bank account has been ripped off because checks are unexpectedly bouncing, you may or may not get stuck with the bounced-check fees. Unwinding the damage, including possible credit-report problems, isn't something most banks undertake. The bank may eventually refund the stolen funds, but in the meantime it can be a big mess for the consumer.

REPORT CREDIT CARD MISUSE/THEFT TO THE POLICE:
Presidio of Monterrey Police Department and other law enforcement agencies are conducting an ongoing investigation - your information may help them solve the case and prevent others from being ripped off. Once you have notified your credit card company, the chain of command and the Police, call the legal office for additional assistance and potential representation back to the credit card company.

ONLY ENTER YOUR CREDIT CARD NUMBER ON SITES AND MACHINES YOU TRUST 100 PERCENT:
It is very easy to get scammed online by sites that look quite reliable. Before giving your personal credit card information online, have these safety tips in mind:

- To make sure it is safe to enter credit card information on a particular website, check if it has a locked lock in the lower right corner of the internet browser.

- The website address should begin with https://. The "s" means it is an encrypted website and therefore that it will most likely be safe. However, having these safeguards won't guarantee that the site is not a scam site.

DON'T GIVE CREDIT CARD NUMBER ON THE PHONE TO CALLERS:
Never give out credit card number on the phone to callers. It's hard to verify if they are who they say they are. They may claim to be a bank employee and sound convincing on the phone, but they may be identity thieves. For restaurants and stores, cash is recommended. Never ever give the 3 letter code on the back, that secured code is normally only for online purchases.

BE VIGILANT - KEEP YOUR CARDS IN A SAFE PLACE AND DON'T LEAVE YOUR CREDIT CARD EXPOSED:
When standing in line at the supermarket, don't exposed or give thieves the opportunity to copy or take a picture of credit card numbers. Shield or leave it in a wallet until you're ready to pay.

DON'T FAX YOUR CREDIT CARD NUMBER:
Never fax credit card numbers since it can be there for a few hours before anyone picks it up, giving someone a chance to copy it down.

REVIEW YOUR CREDIT CARD BILLS EACH MONTH:
Review billing statements once a month at a minimum, or go online and routinely check purchases. If there are any charges that you didn't make, report it no matter how small.
When it comes to your money, it pays to be diligent.