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When we want our money to grow, we invest. When we want to take risks, we buy stocks. But when it comes to credit card security, it may not be so clear which way to go. In order for our money to flourish, it`s important to keep our funds safe. But keeping it safe from online scammers and identity thieves may be hard to do.
Every time you log-on, your personal information is at risk of being hacked. Here are some ways to protect yourself as soon as you log-on your homepage.
Hackers and scammers love to get a hand on your personal information in the most deceptive methods possible. Their preferred methods of contact used to be suspicious e-mails claiming that you`re the heir to millions of dollars, a sweepstakes winner, or other deceptive phishing practices. Scammers also have been known to call consumers phones pretending to be bank employees and requesting more of their bank information for verification purposes, as well as placing external hardware`s on ATMs in order to record consumers personal bank information. The newest trend in the hacking world is smishing, which is phishing through SMS text messaging. Smishers usually get your phone number through websites that you’ve signed up for and third party sales.
If you`ve become victim to any type of credit card security threat, it can be hard to deal with. It`s better to practice preventative measures, before a credit card hackers gets away with your cash - if they happen to hack into your checking account, or damaging your credit score - if they get away with your credit card information.
Some ways to protect yourself include:
- Using your credit card for all online purchases. If a hacker does get your information, your actual cash that you’ve worked hard for will not be compromised. If you can prove that the purchases were unauthorized, most banks will compensate you for the lost charges.
- Only purchase items over a secure server. This means checking for a 'https://' instead of just a 'https://'. The 's' stands for secure. While purchases made over this connection are not perfectly secure, there is added protection. Also, check to see if the website has a security seal on the bottom of the page. This means that they`ve hired an outside security company, to make sure the website is encrypted, hence offering more protection.
- Use a virtual credit card number. If you ask for it, many credit card issuers will give you a different credit card number to use when online. The credit card issuer will give a 16-digit card number with security code and expiration date that can be used for added security.
Using your credit card can be a hassle, but don`t add pressure by also worrying about credit card security. If you make a few simple changes in your daily routine, your credit card can instantly be more secure.
