What To Do If Credit Card Is Stolen Let Common Sense Guide
Do you know what to do if credit card is stolen to protect so you do not become a victim? I guess the first answer is obvious, keep your credit card information private. Your statements come in the mail right? So what you want to do is get to your mailbox as soon as the mail carrier delivers, if possible. Believe it or not there are people out there who will steal mail from your mailbox to get your information. They will go to any lengths to get your information and use it for their own benefit.
Learning what to do to if credit card is stolen in the first place can and will save you a lot of time, effort and money in the long run. If your identity does get stolen the first thing you need to do is contact the credit card companies that you have a card through and have them put a fraud alert on them or just cancel them all together and have the card companies send you new cards. Go over your statements thoroughly and dispute any unknown charges you find. You are not responsible for any purchases you have not made yourself.
Next, place calls to the credit bureaus and file fraud alerts with them. This is not totally necessary but it can't hurt. You can just contact one and that one will let the other two know there has been an alert filed and the proper steps will be taken by the other two as well. Have them send you a copy of your credit report so you can stay on top of what has been going on with your credit and immediately dispute any and all unknown accounts. If you keep up to date with your credit report then you can head off any potential problems before they become problems.
So what other information is high risk for theft? Your social security number is a big one, bank account information and any PINs or passwords to these accounts. Do not keep PINs or passwords to your cards or accounts anywhere near the card or other account information. Make it as hard for someone to steal your identity as possible. Do not keep your social security card in your wallet. Store it safely at home where you know where it is in case you need it. Otherwise just memorize the number. Keep things as simple as possible then you will not have to worry.
Do not forget about the internet. The internet has made identity theft easier for the thieves these days. Hackers can and will do anything they can to get your information. Do not use any unsecure sites for shopping or give out any information like your social security number or credit card number unless you can verify that the site you are on is secure. Clear all your cookies after you get done on the internet or set your browser to do it for you. Follow all these tips for what to do when credit card is stolen.
