Today we almost always use our credit cards for just about every transaction we do. We use it at the gas pump, at the restaurant, the Post Office, the Mall and the list goes on
and on. In the old days, I actually remember getting my paycheck in all cash. You would walk around all week with a wad of money in your wallet everyplace you went.
Credit cards were more of a luxury then a necessity. Of coarse you had to worry about getting robbed but it was not as much a concern as it is today. Today, you would not even think of carrying a large sum of money with you if at all possible. That is why you use credit cards.
Credit cards for the most part are a safe and secure way to make your everyday purchases. Most cards protect you from fraudulent transactions and will often not hold you liable if your account is hacked or your card is stolen. This usually offers you at least protection from fraudulent activity.
Just recently, 40 million people were compromised by cyber-thieves when they shopped at Target stores since just before Thanksgiving. The chain is still trying to determine if Hackers or an inside job by employees caused the event. Regardless, waking up to hear that your favorite store was hacked and your personal information could have been compromised can make for a very scary morning. This stolen information came during the busiest shopping period of the year. Probably, this was not just an accident but it was planned during this period so the hackers could get the most bang for their buck. If this is broken down, one in seven of every credit card in the United States was compromised.
The scary part of this attack is that so much is still unsown. Nobody really knows exactly where the attack came from and exactly where the information was stolen. This just adds insult to injury to the worry meter.
In addition to the actual event, the door is now open for scammers to act as banks and call to tell you that your account has been compromised. The call might be legit but it also could be a fake. A good idea if you get a call of this nature is to not give any information but to call the toll free number on the back of the affected card and talk to customer service. In this way, you are sure that you are not going to get scammed a second time.
During the holidays, it is always a good idea to keep a close look at your cards and be sure you do not see any crazy charges on the card. Be even more careful when you use a debit card. These cards do not provide the buyer protection that you get with a credit card. It is also harder to recover money from fraudulent purchases when using this type of card. For this reason, only put as much money as you need in your debit account. This way there is less to steal in case a hacker gets a hold of your information.
If you check your statement and you find that you are a target of fraud, call your card provider immediately so the card can be deactivated and a new card issued. This will prevent further fraudulent action on the card. If you have a password for the online site of the affected card,
Change it immediately. If you have other accounts that use the same password, change them as well just to be safe.
In addition to the steps I just mentioned, getting involved in a program like Life Lock to protect your identity might also is a good idea. If your identity is stolen the service will help pay for some of the costs involved in getting your identity back. It can be a long and expensive proposition.
So be safe this holiday season and keep close tabs on your accounts. It is so easy to get into the buying spree and get just careless enough to allow a professional hacker to get your information.
posted by, Ross Deprey Computer Geeks Owner
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