Having your
credit card stolen or lost is an absolutely awful experience. Well, it happens all the time and everywhere, since people are not always watchful and tend to forget that stealers are everywhere, waiting for a fortunate moment... You do not want this to happen, right? Here are some pieces of advice for you to prevent undesirable incidents, all you have to do is to remember them (especially when you travel).
First of all, it does not really matter, whether you travel or simply go shopping, take only those credit cards which you really need. Leave at home the rest of these. When you queue up, do not forget about people standing near you. Pay special attention to those using cellular phones with cameras. After the operation involving your credit card is complete, it is obligatory to take the check with you, do not throw it out.
You should never leave your bag and wallet unattended. Do not carry your credit card with you everywhere if it is not necessary. Warning: protect your PIN code! Try not to transmit your data via email, since this method is very, very insecure.
So, if the worst has happened to your credit card for all that, and the plastic is stolen, first of all you should report theft to your bank. In addition, it would be great if you also address your requests to the police. They will, in turn, report to all local companies and warn them, so these will not accept a stolen credit card. Here is a fact: usually a stealer takes advantages of a stolen plastic during a few hours, and then simply gets rid of it. Note that there are some store units or sale outlets or self-service shops which make this situation even more problematic, since the identification is not required and a credit card is not tested for robbery. In case of theft you should get a new credit card with new numbers (having closed an old account, certainly).
When you deal with an ATM, keep all the checks and never put down the number of your
credit card on them. Do not leave them there (and at filling stations, too). All of the financial papers and unused closed plastics should be abolished. Moreover, never give the number of a plastic or an account to online sellers or unknown people.
So, your credit card is just a key to your money, and this contains your account. Nevertheless, it carries your data, so a 'real' plastic may be successfully substituted with a fake one. Moreover, quite often a card is not required, a stealer simply takes your data and enters it to carry an operation.
Please, take into consideration these facts and remember them. They will definitely help you along with your own watchfulness.
