Credit debit card abuse elderly Texas

Credit/Debit Card abuse is the use of your credit card or debit card by another to obtain a benefit fraudulently. This is the most common type of identity theft and can occur whether or not the person physically has your actual card.

Traditionally credit card fraud was limited to the use of stolen or lost cards to make unauthorized transactions, but due to advances in technology, there are now many other ways for thieves to obtain your credit card/debit card information.

Skimming:

Skimming is the use of a small device to obtain the electronic data off of the magnetic stripe on the back of your credit/debit card. The thief then re-encodes the data onto another card and uses it to make purchases or withdrawals. Common skimming locations are restaurants and fast food drive-thru windows. There have even been cases of devices placed on ATM machines to capture data. There have also been recent instances where skimming devices have been found installed inside gas pumps.

Hacking:

Many merchants using out of date software on their POS (point of sale) terminals fall victim to this. The thief hacks into the merchant's payment system and steals customer credit card number. Cards compromised by hacking tend to be from online transactions. When making online transactions, look for HTTPS in the web address. This lets you know that your transaction is secure.

Phishing:

Is the stealing of credit card information through electronic means. It is usually performed by sending emails that look legitimate that ask you to enter account numbers or credit card numbers. This also sometimes occurs when you open an attachment on an email and it installs whats known as a Trojan or keystroke logger on your computer. This program runs in the background on your computer. It collects and sends to criminal's your valuable financial information, usernames and passwords that can be used to cause you significant financial loss. The best protection against this is updated virus protection software for your computer.

If you believe that you have been the victim of debit card or credit card fraud, contact your bank or credit card provider and cancel the card immediately. If the transaction occurred in the City of Grapevine, or if you are a resident of the City of Grapevine and had fraudulent transactions on your card anywhere, download the Credit/Debit Card Abuse Affidavit and follow the instructions provided. When you have gathered the required documentation and completed the affidavit call the police department to make a report.

Cred­it and Deb­it Card Theft and Protection

Credit and debit cards are easy to use — and easy to steal. Learn how to protect yourself from credit card theft and what to do if your card is stolen. 

If Your Credit Card Is Stolen

Whether the card itself was stolen or the credit card number has been compromised, you need to take immediate action. Here's how to get back on track:  

1. Contact your credit card company

Call your credit card company and inform them of the theft immediately. You are not liable for charges made after you report the card lost/stolen. 

2. Place a fraud alert on your credit report

Contact a major credit reporting company. Tell them your credit card is stolen, and you can either place a fraud alert or freeze your credit file.

• Request a Fraud Alert - Equifax
• Request a Fraud Alert - Experian
• Request a Fraud Alert - TransUnion

Note: There is usually a nominal fee for placing a freeze. You may order one free credit report from each of the credit reporting companies every twelve months.

While you're in touch with these companies, check your credit report. Look for any suspicious or unapproved activity. To order a credit report, visit annualcreditreport.com, call (877) 322-8228 or complete the Annual Credit Report Request Form from the Federal Trade Commission, available here and mail it to:

Annual Credit Report Requesting Service
P.O. Box 105281
Atlanta, GA 30348-5281

• Identity Theft: What You Need to Know

Protect Your Credit Card Info

If you take a few simple steps, you can greatly reduce the chance that your credit card number can be stolen:

• Do not keep your PIN number written down with the card.
• Don't let clerks put your card where you can't see it. There are dishonest clerks out there! 
• Confirm that the amount on the receipt is correct.
• Draw a line through any blank lines on the receipt (e.g., "Tip Amount").
• Never give your card number over the phone unless you made the call.
• Never reply to mail or email with your credit card number.
• If paying online, check the top area of your web browser for "https://"—which means the site is secure to use. Without the "s" in the website address, you're not on a secure website. 
• Check your card statements every few weeks to confirm every charge was approved by you. (This is especially important for ATM/debit cards.) 
• Keep track of your cards by listing the names, card numbers and phone numbers of the companies. Keep the list in a safe place separate from your cards. 

The law requires that businesses hide all but the last four digits of a card number on receipts and documents (exception: when the only way to record the card number is writing it out by hand). 

If you know a business that is failing to conceal card numbers, please file a complaint with our office. 

ATM or Debit Cards

If your ATM card is stolen or compromised, you are not liable for any charges made after you report the loss/theft. 

For most cards — both credit and ATM cards — you are liable only for up to $50 in charges that were made before you reported the loss/theft. But for ATM cards, this is true only if you report the loss/theft within two (2) business days of learning about the loss/theft. (In which case, your liability jumps to $500.) 

Also, if an unauthorized charge to your ATM is reported to your bank statement, you are liable for the full amount unless you report the charge within 60 days of the date the statement is sent to you. 

In other words, report the loss/theft of your ATM card immediately. 

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