<p>Is there anything you can do to avoid credit card fraud besides not actually using them? </p>
<p>Recently I have had </p>
<p>-credit and debit card number changed because of general internal bank security threats
-last week I received a fraud text telling me “my debit card had been compromised, please call this number and enter your card number” (immediately called my bank directly and they told me it was a scam).
-this morning I recd a text and email to call Citibank (a different card) where I found out that my card was used at a massage parlor in China to the tune of $800. It was very amusing to listen to the rep go through my recent card charges - coffee shop? check. grocery store? check. massage parlor? huh? </p>
<p>All the issues were handled quickly and professionally (once I got past the annoying phone systems) but the frequency makes me uneasy. I only use three cards - debit, Mastercard and Amex and I try to be careful about where I use them. The only card we have not had trouble with is Amex. </p>
<p>Are there any services that provide an extra layer of protection while you are using your card?</p>
<p>I’ve used Debix for the past year or so. They charge $9.95/month but I worry about identity theft because I do a lot of online purchasing. I’ve had a couple of calls from Debix so far about changes to my credit report that alerted me to some errors so I think it’s good insurance against problems.</p>
<p>We have a Capital One credit card and my husband has them alert him anytime a purchase over $500 (I think that’s the amount - anyway, he selected the amount rather than Capital One.) (He knew the minute my daughter bought her wedding dress. LOL)</p>
<p>He gets an email almost immediately after the purchase is made. He set it up after someone charged load of soccer balls to be sent to Malaysia on our card. Yeah, that was a fraudulent charge and they quickly removed it.</p>
<p>Do not even have a Visa/Mastercard enabled debit card, since Visa/Mastercard fraud is so easy to commit. Debit card fraud is more of a hassle than credit card fraud, since your money is missing in debit card fraud (as opposed to the bank’s money being missing in credit card fraud).</p>
<p>Unfortunately, Visa/Mastercard enabled debit cards are now often the default, so you may have to specially request to not have such a card and get one that is enabled for PIN transactions (like use of ATMs) only.</p>