Moment of Silence for the Jelly Belly Platinum Credit Card…
I frequently shop online: Target, Forever 21, Charlotte Russe, Amazon, Wal-Mart, Barbie Collector, etc! because the best deals are sometimes online. However, last weekend, I got a shocking call from Capital One telling me that my account has been restricted and they have reason to believe I have been a victim of credit card fraud. Of course I was mad!
Apparently someone in South Carolina got a hold of some of my account information and decided to go on a shopping spree at K-Mart.com! Capital One realized that this was out of state and that we don’t even have K-Marts in Houston, so the money will be credited back to my account. This whole process is still annoying, because it the credit card I use often. It was such a cute card too. I know that there are some of us who buy from individuals, companies, and online boutiques, and I wouldn’t want this to happen to anyone else.
Here are some tips(courtesy of the FBI) for protecting yourself when shopping online with credit cards:
1. Don’t give out your card number online unless you know for sure the company and its site is secure.
2. Check to make sure the site is secure, don’t just trust it because it claims to be. Even stores like Wal-Mart and K-Mart have security breaches. It never hurts to be safe.
3. Check security and encryption of sites.
4. Purchase from a reputable source. Check to make sure the company or the individual is legitimate.
5. If you are purchasing from an individual try to get a physical address and phone number and check to see if it works. Also check to make sure the email is working after your purchase is complete.
6. If a seller doesn’t want to give you this information don’t purchase from them.
7. Be very careful when dealing with people outside of your state and even more careful if they are outside of your country.
8. Purchase items with your credit card (versus your debit card) because these purchase can often be disputed if something goes wrong.
9. Keep a list of your credit card numbers, account information, and issuer contact information (in a safe place at home), so if anything happens to your cards you have that information at your fingertips.
10. Trust your instincts. If it looks sketchy…it probably is!
Shop Safely!
These tips were gathered from the Federal Bureau of Investigation website regarding internet fraud.
2 thoughts on “Don’t Let it Happen to You: Online Shopping Credit Card Fraud!”
Wow! That is insane; at least you’re going to get your money back so that’s good!
Thanks for the tips 🙂 I prefer online shopping, though I do shop in store at Target and other stores, at times.
—
Elvia
The New Outlet:
http://the-new-outlet.blogspot.com/
I know, I wouldn’t what to do if they didn’t give it back to me.
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