Credit
Card Guide
Safe Practices & How to Reduce The Chance of
Fraud
Pin Numbers
Always ensure that you never reveal your pin number to anyone,
doing so could cost you dearly. Try to make sure you have
a different pin number for each card, by using just one
pin number for all your cards - whilst perhap easier to
remember - could mean that a stolen wallet and the correct
pin could unlock all of your accounts to the fraudster.
Shield your pin even when putting it into a machine, there
have been cases in the past where fraudsters using pin-hole
cameras on cashpoints record your pin number on video to
use after stealing your card details using a skimming device
installed into the machine itself. Always change the pin
number given to you originally by your bank and ensure you
destroy or shred the paper it came on.
Expired
Credit Cards
Most shredders are unable to destroy credit cards so it
is recommended that you destroy the credit card by cutting
it up into little pieces, also ensure that you don't put
all the pieces into one bin.
Credit
Card Statements
The safest thing to do with all unneeded financial information
is to shred it, making sure you use a cross-shredder. The
same should be done with all receipts that are not needed.
Where you don't have access to a shredder, simply screw
the paper up into a ball a soak it with water under a tap
for around 10 seconds. Hold it tight in your hand whilst
it all merges together and dries slightly. You should then
find that the information contained within it is not readable
as the paper falls apart when you try to open it out again.
Other
Personal Information
It goes without saying that you should not simply throw
away personal details in the bin, it should all be shredded.
This prevents fraudsters from going through your rubbish
and extracting useful personal information that will allow
them to clone your identity and start spending your money
without you even knowing about it until the debt-collector
letters start arriving through your door.
Lost
or Stolen Cards
You should report lost or stolen cards immediately to reduce
the chance of them being used without your consent. There
are now various bank accounts that cover all your cards
and let you cancel them all with just one single phonecall.
Very useful in emergencies.
Joint
Cards
Responsibility is viewed differently with various banks
but the common view is that the primary user is responsible
for it's correct use, so should the second holder mis-use
the card the primary cardholder may still be responsible.
Always worth checking as this scenario could prove costly
if the secondary cardholder has their card stolen and used.
You
can apply online for a variety of great credit cards by
clicking here
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