It's that time of the year again. Everyone is going for the last minute grabs at the stores for their holiday shopping. More people are scurrying to the malls and therefore more people are charging their plastic. That also means more people are becoming prey to identity theft as they cross off each item from their shopping list.
Don't become a prey to such bandits and take the following precautions to make sure your holiday stays happy:-
Carry Less ? Don't carry all your credit cards with you. You are then less likely to lose them or to use them. You won't misplace them or overlook them and at the same time you will be more likely to keep to your original shopping budget.
Control Visibility ? When you are waiting in line don't hold out your credit card for thieves to note down your credit number and other details. Keep it in your purse until you reach the counter and take it out only for the cashier. Keep your eyes on your card until you get it back and immediately put it back in your wallet. Don't get distracted by odd conversations or promotional offers near by.
Check Receipts ? Make sure you check your receipt when your card has been charged. The amount is obviously the first thing to check. You should also check if the receipt has printed your entire credit card number. While most stores don't do this anymore there are still a few that do. In such cases make sure you keep your receipt in a safe place.
Online Shopping ? A lot of us can't get by without shopping online anymore. Earlier we used to be hesitant and avoid it but that is just not possible anymore. If you have purchased anything online you must be extremely careful about checking your credit card statements to make sure that no one use obtained your information for misutilization.
Spend Wisely ? Just because you have a credit card with a limit does not mean you have to use that limit entirely. Be smart in your purchases.
If you follow these four rules like the four fingers on your hand (the thumb is not a finger!) then you will not be taken by a nasty new year surprise.
