We have more ways to pay today than ever before. And while that’s obviously a good thing in terms of convenience and the speed at which funds are able to be transferred, it also means there are more things to consider when trying to protect your financial life.
This month, we talked with our credit card, debit card, and person-to-person payment fraud investigator who shared some tips.
Protecting Yourself From Card Fraud
Be skeptical.
If something seems too good to be true, it probably is. Like that ad you saw on social media for a site that offers an extremely low price on an item that’s usually quite a bit more expensive elsewhere. Like that offer that says, “just pay shipping.”
You don’t want to give those sites your card number.
Don’t play into the hands of fraudsters.
We’ve talked about this one a lot, but links in texts or emails that you aren’t expecting are generally bad news.
Don’t click links in text alerts about “tech support,” deliveries, and fraud alerts. Don’t click links in typo-riddled emails telling you that you’ve won a contest you never entered.
Remember: Avadian will never send you an alert with clickable links, will never ask for your PIN, and will never ask for your one-time passcodes.
Use a credit card and get proof.
A credit card offers more protection than a debit card in a number of ways, most crucially that it is not tied to your checking account if the provider experiences a data breach.
Get a receipt – whether it’s for a good you may want to return or even a lawn service.
Get proof of cancellation so you can prove you did cancel that free trial if they try to charge you again.
Like paying with cash.
Sending money through Zelle® and other person-to-person payment platforms is like paying with cash.
Because of this, it’s best used to send money to family and friends – not for sending money to strangers when paying for goods and services. Be wary of any payment requests that come through social media.
Before sending money, confirm with the recipient that they have indeed requested a payment via Zelle® -- and confirm that you are indeed speaking with the person and not an imposter.
Check out our blogs about fraud prevention and follow us on social media to stay updated on ways you can protect yourself.
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