5 Common Credit Card Scams to Avoid,
By Tedia Gamino
If you’re like most people you own a credit card, and that means you need to be vigilant against credit card scams. Regardless of how criminals perpetrate these scams, the goal is always to lure you into providing them with sensitive personal information. The good thing is you can always dispute a transaction on your credit card that you didn’t authorize. Be aware of credit card scams like these:
- Call, Text, and Email Scams
- Online Shopping Scams
- Unsecure Wi-Fi Traps
- Credit Card Skimming
- Interest Rate Reduction Scams
Let’s take a closer look at each scam.
#1. Call, Text and Email Scams
Most scams are initiated through phone calls, texts, and emails, and scammers try to convince you to provide your personal and credit card details. Usually these calls or emails carry a particular sense of urgency. For instance, a phishing email may warn that a particular utility bill is due, and that if you don’t act quickly to update your billing info the utility will be disconnected. The scammer will provide a website link for you to update your information, but the link goes to a fake site where they steal your data.
#2. Online Shopping Scams
With a majority of people purchasing goods and services online, the chances of falling victim to online shopping scams are high. There are fake e-commerce websites everywhere, many of which can mimic or “spoof” legitimate ones in all aspects—including images and trademarks. These sites may use payment mechanisms that are difficult to reverse, like wire transfers, or payments using cryptocurrency.
#3. Unsecured Wi-Fi
You are a scammer’s target if you use unsecured Wi-Fi, especially in public places. Scammers monitor these signals and lay in wait to get their hands on your personal information. They may also broadcast a Wi-Fi signal, and if you use it, they can gain access to your data—they may even infect your device with malware that’s designed to steal your info.
#4. Credit Card Skimming
Credit card skimming is different from most other scams because you aren’t necessarily tricked into sharing your data. Scammers may attach a skimming device to card readers and can make copies of your card’s details to make a copycat card, or to sell your information.
#5. Interest Rate Reduction
If you owe a large amount of debt, scammers may target you and pretend to be legit companies that work to settle debt for an amount lower than you owe—for a fee. In the process you end up sharing your credit card details, which they can use to charge upfront, recurring fees without actually providing a service.
Do You Need to Talk to an Attorney About Credit Card Fraud Charges Against You?
If you’ve been charged with credit card fraud, call our office at 414-383-6700 to talk to an experienced attorney who can give you the guidance you need.
By Attorney Tedia Gamino