10 Tips to Protect Yourself from Credit Card Fraud

In the aftermath of various high-profile data breaches in the past few years, millions of customers are currently at risk of identity theft and credit card fraud. While it is hard to protect yourself from large scale and sophisticated security breaches, there are still some things you can do to make your identity safer online and in person.

Here are our 10 top tips for keeping your identity safe:

1. Download and install latest operating system updates for your computers, tablets and smartphones.

2. Keep your antivirus program up to date and current.

3. Use a single credit card for all online shopping and do not use your debit card.

4. When traveling it is also smart to use only one unique credit card.

5. Get in the habit of checking your credit and bank account statements at least once a month. Consider signing up for a credit monitoring service that will send you email alerts of any unusual activity.

6. Set auto alerts on your credit cards and bank account to inform you if there are changes made to your account.

7. Lower your individual transaction limits for your credit cards, especially ones used to shop online or when traveling.

8. Shred all personal information before throwing it away, this includes bank statements, new credit card applications, credit card offers, doctors visit receipts and credit card receipts.

9. Use unique 10-16 character passwords that include both alphanumeric and special characters for all accounts, especially online banking accounts.

10. Use a passcode to lock your phone and a remote application that can track phone location and delete data remotely from your smartphone.

BONUS: Use password managers to keep your login info safe.

For more information about keeping your identity safe, contact eLab Communications at (831) 375-7600.