Credit card fraud is the main concern of Americans -
Robert Siciliano is a NextAdvisor.com Expert Guest Blogger
A recent study conducted by Unisys Corporation shows that identity theft regarding credit card fraud is "Americans number one concern.
When people ask me, "How can I protect myself against credit card fraud? "I tell them:" Cancel the card, or never use it. "Because it's the only way.
personal security (regarding violence) and national security have always been a concern. However, this new study shows that people are more concerned about fraud and the risk of their savings depleted by scammers. Not so hard to believe that the number of data breaches, and Madoffs of the world to ransom their unsuspecting investors.
75% of Americans believe that the recession has increased their chances of being victimized by criminal hackers and thieves. most are also concerned about their "private" information on a company network or a bank may be compromised.
2008 annual report Internet crime Complaint Center of the FBI determined that online fraud increased by 33.1% last year. the dollar losses due to online fraud rose to $ 265 million.
overall, these concerns are valid, due to defects in the credit delivery system which facilitate new account fraud. In addition, account recovery requires nothing more than access to credit card numbers, which are available in pirated or sensitive databases each time you hand your card to an employee of the gas station.
viruses in emails or phishing emails continue to plague consumers and fraudsters become more sophisticated, the chances of being caught increase.
banks and companies will continue to feel the pressure as criminals targeting customer data.
credit card skimming at ATMs and gas pumps, it is impossible to protect yourself when you could be more essentially distribute your numbers to a criminal.
skimming is one of the fastest growing crimes in the financial industry, according to the US Secret Service. Worldwide ATM Industry Association reports over $ 1 billion in annual global losses of credit card fraud and electronic crime associated with ATMs.
Marite Ferrero, a blogger with Finextra, added: "In Europe, the compromise points are everywhere: ATM, gas stations, parking, DVD rentals, movie tickets, food kiosks, tolls , buying metro tickets, and the list goes on ... because of the chip and pin implementation, the proliferation of stand-alone terminals that accept chip and pin has provided a profitable playground for scammers. "
While the cardholder is generally only liable for the first $ 50.00 of losses, which is often lifted by a" policy of zero liability, "cardholders who do not pay attention to their statements often leave these fees eat and pass.
There are many technologies available to secure credit cards, such as "smart cards" and "chip and pin". However, because of the nature of a transaction by credit card, once the data leaves the card, it is to win. Whatever card security may have their summer is now gone.
Carefully check your bank statements and credit. Scrutinize every charge and refute unauthorized charges within 30-60 days. Call your bank or credit card company immediately if you see any fraudulent activity.
invest in identity theft protection. Credit freezes or fraud alerts help prevent new fraud account. Protect your PC with McAfee, or other Internet security software.
Robert Siciliano, identity theft speaker, discusses credit card fraud.
Robert Siciliano is CEO of IDTheftSecurity.com, an expert in identity theft, professional speaker, security analyst, published author and television news correspondent. Siciliano works with Fortune 1000 and start-up companies as a consultant on product launches, branding, messaging, representation, SEO and media. the thoughts and advice of Siciliano on all these issues often appear in both television and print media news, including CNN, MSNBC, CNBC, FOX, Forbes and USA Today. He has 25 years of safety training as a member of the American Society for Industrial Security. He is the author of two books, including The Safety Minute: Living on high alert; How to take control of your personal safety and to prevent fraud . He also established a partnership with Uni-Ball to help raise awareness of the growing threat of identity theft and provide tips on how you can protect yourself.
0 comments:
Post a Comment