The holiday season is a wonderful time of the year. Unfortunately, the holiday season is also a prime time for fraud activity. Member education and awareness is so important during this shopping season as so many individuals face financial difficulties during these economic times.
Below are some Holiday Fraud Prevention Tips to help protect against becoming a fraud victim this holiday season;
Ensure that receipts reflect the correct transaction amount.
When performing a PIN transaction, ensure that others are not watching you to capture your PIN number.
When using a debit card, you may select "Credit", which requires a signature and extends the $0.00 member liability under the VISA/
MasterCard association rules.
Review all accounts (checking, savings, credit card) activity daily.
Lower your credit limit on credit cards during the holidays.
When paper checks are converted at a merchant to an
ACH electronic draft, store voided checks safely to prevent counterfeit checks or unauthorized
ACH transactions.
Be suspicious of emails from unknown parties; don't open the email or click any links within them. Watch for electronic greeting cards from strangers.
Shop online with trustworthy merchants who require security information such as address verification and the
CVV2/
CVC2 number on the back of your card.
When shopping in person or using an ATM, be aware of your surroundings and report any unusual activities.
Never leave your purse, wallet, or cards unattended. Do not lock your purse in a trunk at a public place, thieves can observe this and quickly break a window and release the trunk lock.
Finally, if an offer seems too good to be true, it probably is, so be cautious.
The average fraud victim loses over $900 as a result of a fraud case. No one wants to part with $900 these days so be cautious and safe this holiday season.
