Legitimate phone card companies and sellers have had to ride amongst a tide of unscrupulous operators who in many cases do provide a card, but generally they are not worth the paper they are printed on. So how can you protect yourself against pre paid phone card fraud? There are several precautions you can take to safe guard yourself against losing your money.

Four Security Tips

1. Check to see whether the company brand phone card has a point of contact. Very important particularly if you intend to be a long term user. Having a customer service base gives customers greater peace of mind in the knowledge that there is somewhere they can go if things go awry or to just simply seek further information.

2. Read the terms and conditions before purchasing your phone card. This has become a big issue recently where some customers have had no come back against less than fair practices. For instance, you want to clarify that there are no hidden fees or other costs involved with the card. It may look a cheap buy on the surface but is there something "unsavoury" lurking below the surface. You want and are entitled to full disclosure on all terms and conditions in most cases.

3.If buying a traditional phone card, be sure to check that it hasn't been tampered with. Check the pin and be sure everything is intact.

4. Generally, be satisfied in your own mind that everything seems to check out. Experienced prepaid phone card users often will test a new service by purchasing a token subscription and then trying out the card. This way, they can see just how user-friendly the service is and more importantly, if there is a service at all.

Is It Worth The Effort?

You may be thinking why bother using a phone card if there is so much due diligence to perform before purchasing. In reality, there isn't, when you compare shopping for a phone card to most other consumer goods. Performing some rigid checks isn't all that time consuming and can prevent you from losing money unnecessarily.

The advantages of using a prepaid phone card generally outweigh the disadvantages with extremely cheap call rates allowing people to communicate on a regular basis, not just state-to-state, but country-to-country. Once you become a little experienced at using a card service, the due diligence aspect becomes a breeze to perform.

Another tip... when you find a company that meets all the requirements you're after stick with them. Avoid the temptation to jump services because there is a slightly cheaper deal elsewhere.