The content is accurate at the time of publication and is subject to change.

Credit card fraud can immensely hurt you, since having your information allows the scammers to exploit your own finances at your expense and reputation. You should therefore always be on guard and careful when giving away your credit information. Always use common sense. The following are some tips of how you can protect yourself from being scammed.

One very simple but useful tip is to avoid handing your credit card to anyone save some people you trust. When doing any sort of transaction, never let your card out of your sight and request to have it back as soon as possible. Handing the waiter your credit card when dining out in restaurants has been a common practice since who knows when, but people have actually attested that such a practice might even be less safe than simply entering your credit details on an online site.

Speaking of online transactions, you should always verify if the website is credible and secure or not. You may want to contact the company hosting the website to verify it. Unfortunately, a number of phishing scams have arisen, in which when you enter your account number, it is forever stolen by scammers. These are often in the form of pop-ups or spam. Also, never reply to emails requesting your credit card details, even if the sender seems official. Credible banks and companies rarely request for information over email. Again, before doing giving out information, verify the legitimacy of these requests over the phone.

Always clear you web history and do not save your passwords when you log-in. A suggestion would be to frequently change passwords.

Similarly, unless you yourself initiated the phone call, never give your account number over the phone. One tactic that thieves use is calling unwary consumers, introducing themselves as agents or personnel from a certain company and asking for their credit account numbers. Reputable companies never ask for consumersЎЇ account numbers over the phone.

Memorize your pin and account number and do not write it down and keep it with you or your bag, nor should you carry more than two of your credit cards with you, in case your bag is stolen or in the event that you are held up.

Shred any documents or papers containing your credit card details. Keep your receipts so you can have a basis of comparison and verification, and so you can be alerted of any fraudulent or covert activities you may not know of.

Disclaimer: This editorial content is not provided or commissioned by the credit card issuer(s). Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of the credit card issuer(s), and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the credit card issuer(s). Reasonable efforts are made to present accurate information, however all information is presented without warranty. Consult a card's issuing bank for the terms & conditions.
All rates and fees, and other terms and conditions of the products mentioned in this article/post are actual as of the last update date but are subject to change. See the current products' Terms & Conditions on the issuing banks' websites.