SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. -- We in the staff judge advocate corps can't over-stress how important it is to protect your identity, your credit cards and your finances as much as possible, especially considering the recent local outbreak of credit card fraud.
Credit card fraud is related to identify theft. Typically, someone steals your credit card or personal information and either uses it to make purchases or obtain a credit line in your name, or sells it to someone else who does.
Fraudulent use of your credit card can damage your credit history and score with unauthorized spending. That, ultimately, can damage your chances to obtain credit to buy a home, car or even to get or keep your security clearance for your job.
Here are some suggestions how you can protect yourself:
- Keep an eye on your finances: Make a habit to look at your credit card balance and bank account at least once a week. This enables you to stay informed if there are fraudulent charges on your bank account or credit line. Knowing the status of your finances is always a good place to start.
- Only give out your sensitive financial information over the phone if you are the one making the call: Con artists not only use fake emails and websites, but may call and act like they are with your financial institution. They try to get your sensitive financial information that they can use against you. If you get such a phone call, tell the person that you will call your institution back to verify that the call is legitimate. This simple act ensures that you don't give out your information to someone you don't want to have it.
- Only carry the credit cards that you need: The burdens of restoring and cancelling all of the items in your wallet can be a pain. Items that you rarely use, such as your government travel card, should be left at home because the ramifications could be great if your card is lost and used by someone else. Only keep the cards on you that you use on a consistent basis.
- Shred all documents with your financial information on them: Information that can be used to steal your identity or access your credit line can be found in your trashcan when you take out your trash.
- Check your credit report: One of the best ways to make sure nothing fishy is happening with your credit is to check your credit report on annually. It is a good practice to set up a date, such as Jan. 1, to check your credit report. This can be done for free at www.annualcreditreport.com. There is no need to retrieve your credit report from sites that require you to sign a membership agreement for a fee in order to get your credit report.
- Act immediately if you find problems with your credit: If you find that your credit information has been stolen or you see questionable charges on your account, even small ones, notify your financial institution immediately. Taking quick action can protect your information and stop the fraudulent charges from occurring again. You should also inform your supervisor to put them on notice that your credit has been tampered with so they are aware of your situation.
As always, the most important thing to do in order to stay protected is to use common sense and good situational awareness. These simple practices will help you in protecting yourself and your good credit from criminals and scam artists.