How to Not Be the Victim of a Credit Card Scam
Contributed by Kristy George
Where Credit Card Scam's Happen
In today's technologically advanced world people think the internet is accountable for most credit card scam's, but they would be wrong. Most credit card scam's are completed the old fashion way, the paper trail. This can range from your personal trash to company employees keeping a receipt of your credit card.
Safe Proof Your Trash
Most thieves scavenge trash cans in search of any information that might help them rip you off. Any receipt you throw away may contain valuable information you are not aware of. If someone is going through your trash, they already have your address. They can obtain your phone number through phone bills. They might get social numbers from credit card offers. Never throw away anything that contains your social security number. This simple number is your i.d. An old driver's license gives thieves access to plenty of your information.
If you receive a credit card offer do not just simply throw it away. The best way to get rid of it is by shredding it first. If you do not have access to a shredder the best advice I can give you is to tear it into as many pieces as possible. If you receive a new credit card because your old one expired and you no longer want to use it, do not throw it away. You must shred it or make the numbers illegible for you to be safe from thieves.
Many papers that we throw away daily has information on it that put us at risk. If you throw away an ATM receipt, even though it does not have your full account number on it, it does tell a thief where you bank getting them one more step closer to robbing you. If they know your name, address, and where you bank, all they have to do is wait around for you to slip and throw away your bank number. It does happen. Same goes for your credit card number.
Eventually you will probably throw something away with at least a partial number. A patient thief just waits to receive all the digits, then it is on to shopping paradise while you foot the bill.
