Identity theft may be one of the most ubiquitous crimes today. In fact, you probably know somebody who has had their identity stolen, or experienced some kind of credit card fraud. While there is little that can be said that will comfort a victim of such a crime, there is plenty you can do today to avoid having your identity stolen. One of the major issues relating to defensive action you can take against scammers is to practice credit card safety.
Credit card safety is a matter of diligence and vigilance. We need to be aware of scams that are going around and we need to use wisdom in the decisions we make and how we handle credit cards. We particularly need to be careful of how we handle our receipts and statements.
A major scam today is when a scammer calls, pretending to be your credit card company. These scammers will often offer some kind of prize, award or new benefit, and then they will tell you that they need your account information in order to get you that promised thing. Unsuspecting folks provide their card information, and the rest (including the credit score) is history.
So if your bank calls, should you give them your credit card number if they ask? Absolutely not. If it is your bank, they don’t need the number. Think about it: they are your bank or your creditor; if they truly are you bank or creditor, they know better than to request such a thing.
Thus, if you receive a call like this, turn it around on the caller and ask them to give YOU the account number. If they refuse to, hang up. The scam artist may give an excuse, saying that they have an offer for you, but they need to first confirm your identity. Don’t accept this. Tell them that you are not interested anyway and then hang up. You should also report the experience to the police or a local identity theft taskforce.
Never, ever give out your bank, credit card, or personal information over the phone to a person who called you. Once again, never do this. Unless you made the call, you cannot be sure that the person on the other end is who they say they are. That being the case, why take chances with your identity and credit score? So be vigilant and remember to be careful.