Monday, June 13, 2011

Few Basic Things That You Need To Remember While Reporting For Credit Card Fraud


The American consumers who have good credit history for them credit card fraud can be a dreadful experience. Many people among them have recent enlisted with a debt relief program to eliminate their debts. And they might have worked hard to rebuild their credit score immediately after eradicating their financial woes. But a credit card fraud can cause a permanent financial damage. Therefore, the consumers should know the necessary steps that can be taken while reporting a case of credit card fraud.

Here are six steps that you need to take while reporting a credit card fraud:
  • You need to take out a free online credit report or you can call any of the credit report agencies like AnnualCreditReport, Experian and Equifax to know about your status. You are eligible to get a free credit report annually.
  • Your second step would be to lodge a complaint at the local police department. You can file complaint over the phone at many places. Once you have filed a complaint make sure that you get a hard copy of your police report.
  • You should notify your bank regarding the fraud and instruct them to freeze the accounts. You can change the account number so that the frauds fail to access your account.
  • You can find the helpline number at the back of the credit card and call the customer care to keep track of the charges levied on your credit card.
  • You can report fraud to the Federal Trade Commission if your card has been misused by the crook. The FTC can help you give extra information regarding your credit history.
  • Make sure you immediately inform the credit card company that your card has been stolen or misused and put a fraud alert on it.
Therefore, these are the few essential points that you need to keep in mind while reporting for credit card fraud.

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