Credit card fraud has become a major problem over recent years, and every year many people fall victim to this type of fraud.
Often this is through no fault of their own, but in some cases the reason why people fall victim to fraud is because they have been careless with their personal details, which is something that fraudsters prey on.
With fraud levels still rife it is vital that cardholders are more careful with their details, as otherwise the risk of becoming a victim of fraud is all the greater.
Certain types of credit card fraud are greater than others, and this includes CNP or Card Not Present fraud, which is where the actual credit card is not needed to conduct a transaction such as with online or telephone purchases.
With an increasing number of people shopping online for various items from groceries to clothes and entertainment it is vital that more caution is exercised with online transactions.
This includes ensuring that the site you use is a secure site, and also not linking to websites from emails and then putting in your details. You should also avoid saving your details on any sites that you purchase from if you have a shared computer, as this can also heighten the risk of becoming a victim of fraud if someone with dishonourable intentions gets hold of the details.
Another thing to be careful of is ordering or making purchases by phone. You should never give out your details to someone who has called you out of the blue stating that they are from some company or other, because unless you have phoned the firm yourself you actually have no idea who you are talking to.
Also, be careful about shouting out your details on the phone when there are other people around that you don't know as this could result in someone getting hold of your details.
One thing that many people do is dispose of their credit card statements by simply throwing them in the waste paper basket, which then gets emptied into black bags and put outside ready for collection day.
However, some fraudsters will go as far as to search through bin bags in order to find documentation such as this, which they then use to commit fraud. You need to ensure that you shred all bank statements and dispose of them carefully in order to avoid this happening.
Many credit cards now offer increased levels of protection and security against fraud.
This can include offering fraud guarantees that offer a zero liability policy if your credit card details are used without your knowledge or consent.
Credit card providers have now started offering identity theft protection services, including Barclaycard and Capital One.
Capital One, including the Capital One Classic credit card, also offer free access to Equifax alerts - sending you an alert if anything changes on your credit file and also offering you two free Equifax credit reports per year.
Whether you need a bad credit rating credit card or a mainstream one - you should be able to compare products and improve the level of security against fraud offered by your credit card company.
R. Charlton, award-winning writer, shares her financial expertise as a contributing columnist for Credit Card Comparison, where you can compare bad credit rating credit cards.
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