| How will you react if you get a call one fine | | | | and without any worries about being robbed? |
| day from the collection agency stating that | | | | The best way is to shop from a reliable and |
| you are liable for charges on your account | | | | 'secure' site. Go for a website which asks |
| that have not been made by you? You will | | | | you to re-enter your personal details every |
| definitely get angry, lambast the credit card | | | | time you shop rather than the one which |
| company and take the legal course. The damage | | | | recommends you to store the information for |
| however will be done by that time, and your | | | | convenience later. The extra effort of |
| credit rating will have taken a beating. What | | | | re-entering details is agreeable for the |
| you will be doing is losing your time and | | | | privacy of your personal information. |
| money pursuing a legal case, while the person | | | | |
| who has scampered with your credit card money | | | | 3. SSL technology: Secure Socket Layer (SSL) |
| will be making merry and waiting for his next | | | | technology is the best security online. The |
| strike. | | | | shopping and business websites online are |
| | | | kept secure due to a program which encrypts |
| Identity theft is an emerging crime where | | | | the data in such a way that only you can make |
| some one gets hold of your private | | | | out what you are doing on a given page. It is |
| information and assumes your identity. He | | | | encrypted in a machine read level which |
| applies for a credit card in your name and | | | | cannot be comprehended by any other person |
| wreaks havoc with your credit file and | | | | besides you and the computer. Your credit |
| personal finances by using the card for | | | | card details are extremely secure and there |
| purchases and online transactions. He can | | | | is no way for anyone to get any access of |
| even process an address change, ask for a | | | | your valuable information. To find out if |
| credit line increase, do balance transfers in | | | | your online shopping website has the SSL |
| your name and mess your credit rating. In the | | | | technology is by looking at the URL or the |
| end, you are the one who has to pay, | | | | webpage address. If it begins with " instead |
| literally speaking. Taking care of your | | | | of the usual " you know that the page which |
| credit card and keeping confidential | | | | you are keying in your details is secure. The |
| information private is really your | | | | extra "S" in the https stands for 'Secure.' |
| responsibility. Here is how you can ensure | | | | |
| that your credit card information is kept | | | | 4. Verification code: The three digits at |
| secure and confidential: | | | | the back of the card above the signature |
| | | | panel on most credit cards make it known to |
| 1. Subscribe to a credit monitoring system: | | | | the online retailers and tele-shopping |
| This is the best bet against any kind of | | | | representatives that the card is with the |
| identity theft. For a nominal amount, you get | | | | right person. |
| a service which alerts you of any possible | | | | |
| untoward changes which happens with your | | | | 5. Shred vital information on paper: Make it |
| credit file. For example, Citicard has | | | | a point to shred every bit of credit card |
| started with the City Credit Monitoring | | | | information, pin numbers, promotional mails |
| System which alerts you of any changes or | | | | and checks after you have used them or made a |
| discrepancies in your credit file so that you | | | | note of them. This will ensure that your |
| come to know that the change like an address | | | | credit card information is secure. |
| change or an application of a credit card has | | | | |
| been initiated by you and not somebody else. | | | | 6. Authorization code: You get an |
| This way you can be secure that your credit | | | | authorization code for every payment or |
| rating is not affected and you stay clear of | | | | shopping that you do online or over the |
| any identity theft on your account. | | | | telephone. This code is something which only |
| | | | you have knowledge of. |
| 2. Online security: The online route is | | | | |
| another way by which miscreants can cheat you | | | | 7. Make sure that your unused accounts are |
| by using your credit card number and | | | | indeed closed: Check with the credit card |
| expiration date to make an online purchase. | | | | companies and credit reports to ascertain if |
| At other times, a nasty hacker can sneak into | | | | some of the credit card accounts that you do |
| the online store's website and steal your | | | | not use have indeed been closed. If they are |
| credit card information either as you key in | | | | still lying open, they can be a potential |
| the details or from the customer database. | | | | source for identity thefts. |
| However online shopping is the best place to | | | | |
| shop in terms of convenience and affordable | | | | Daniel Cohen recommends Find Credit Cards for |
| prices. So how does one shop freely online | | | | finding a Master Card rewards credit card. |