VICTORIA - Credit cards make our lives convenient, but fraudulent charges can rack up if you do not use your credit card safely.
• Keep your credit cards secure. Always confirm you have it back before you leave a store or restaurant. Decrease your chances of credit card skimming at restaurants by paying at the terminal rather than giving your credit card to a server. Do not sign blank credit card receipts.
• Shred anything with your credit card number on it. If you make a credit card purchase at a store or restaurant that keeps a copy of the receipt, scratch out your credit card number with a pen.
• Only give your credit card number or other sensitive information to your bank or financial institution when you have initiated the call using the number on the back of your card. Do not return calls to a phone number left on your answering machine and do not give your credit card number to anyone who calls you requesting it.
• Report suspicious activity immediately. The sooner you report your missing or stolen card, the less likely fraudulent charges will be made on your card.
• Review your billing statements each month. This is the best way to ensure that you notice strange charges and report them right away.