Credit Card Frauds and What You Can Do to Avoid Them
As of 2021, the most common payment method out of all the fraud reports in the US was credit cards. In 2020, when the world was battling COVID-19, there were a total of 459,297 cases of such fraud. Most of these fraud victims were between the ages of 30 and 39, the target demographic for credit card issuers. As a result, theft by credit card fraud increased by almost 45% compared to 2019.
Credit card fraud is one of the biggest threats today’s eCommerce industry faces. No one’s bank account is entirely safe from these perils, from credit card theft to credit card data breaches.
A card issuer does their best to stop offline and online transactions from a stolen credit card whenever they suspect fraud. It’s also possible to recover funds from credit card fraud via a funds recovery company. These companies can easily back you up as long as you have sufficient evidence. However, you to be vigilant as well regarding this issue. So, here are a few things you can do to avoid credit card fraud.
Never Save Your Credit Card Details
In 2021, Google sent millions of users a chilling email when it told them their passwords had been compromised. The data breach exposed millions of users’ saved login and payment credentials.
You often save your credit card information on various websites. The purpose is that you don’t have to re-enter the same details the next time you want to buy something from them. However, hackers can access your information when they manage to breach the website’s security measures. As a result, your credit card information is no longer safe. It might already be too late by the time you get to know it.
Scan Your Computer and Phone for Virus and Malware
The number of online transactions reaches the million mark almost every day. Most of these are credit card transactions, where people are buying stuff online. Since you’re either using your mobile or PC for this, you must make sure no one is snooping on you and your credit card information.
Scan your PC and smartphone for viruses and malware. Hackers and scammers can access confidential information on your devices by planting a backdoor. At the same time, you should be careful while installing third-party software on your devices.
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Use Stronger and More Secure Security Measures
Not saving your login credentials and credit card information will go a long way in protecting you from fraud. However, you can still do more to protect yourself from credit card fraud.
Using a secure password should be your priority. Use a mix of alphabets, symbols, and special characters to compose the password. Never use guessable passwords like your birthdate or pet name.
Look into other ways of securing your devices. Biometric authentication is a highly efficient way of doing so. After all, it won’t be easy to replicate your eyes, face, or fingerprints.
Don’t Use Your Credit Card On an Insecure Website
Never purchase anything using your credit card on a website without an SSL certificate. The SSL certification verifies that the website encrypts sensitive information passed between the user and the server. No SSL certificate means that anyone can snoop on that information. When you wish to install an SSL certificate make sure it is from a reputed CA like RapidSSL, GlobalSign, DigiCert, etc. A few well-known certs are popular among developers including RapidSSL wildcard Certificate for subdomains, comodo multi domain SSL, and Thawte SSL for a single domain. A site owner can choose as per the site’s requirements.
When using your credit card online, you send your card number and security pin to the receiver’s server. Anyone with the right tools and brains can snoop on these exchanges and steal your credit card information. That is even worse than when someone steals your credit card. With credit card theft, you’ll at least know that someone stole it. There’s no easy way to tell if someone stole your credit card information during the transaction process.
Be Careful While Using Your Card
When using your credit card, keep the following points in mind.
- Make sure the card reader at the ATM is not loose.
- Cover your pin as you enter it into the machine.
- Never let anyone use your credit card. At the same time, never tell your credit card pin to those at the payment terminal or counter of the store.
- Immediately call your card issuer and block the card if you lose it.
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Be Aware of Unauthorized Transactions
Always keep your credit card bills in check. When you spot an unauthorized or suspicious transaction, notify the credit card company. Don’t risk keeping your card active at that stage.
Your credit card issuer will also notify you when it sees that you’re trying to make a transaction to a suspicious or blacklisted website. Listen to their reasons for the notification and possible transaction block. Avoid using your credit card on those sites if possible.
Credit card fraud will continue as long as people are not careful about how they use it. So, your best bet to avoid these frauds is to ensure you stay extra cautious all the time.
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Basis Of ComparisionMicro EconomicsMacro EconomicsMeaning Microeconomics is that branch of economics that deals with household, individual, and firm behavior analysis at the time of allocation of resources. It comprises the goods and services of the market and deals with the issues in their economy. The Macroeconomics deals with the complete behavioral study of the economy and its performance in total. Important areas of study in the case of Macroeconomics are GDP, growth rate, inflation, and unemployment. Area Of Study It studies a specific market segment of an economy. It studies the entire economy and covers the market as a whole. Deals With Microeconomics deals with multiple issues like factor pricing, product pricing, demand & supply position, production, consumption, and economic welfare. Macroeconomics deals with various issues like national income, general price level, money, distribution, and employment. Business Application It solves the internal issues. It solves external and environmental issues. Scope Microeconomics covers issues like actor pricing, product pricing, demand & supply position, production, consumption, and economic welfare. Macroeconomics covers issues like national income, general price level, money, distribution, and employment. Significance It helps to maintain the balance between the products and the factors of production like land, labor, capital, and entrepreneurship. Macroeconomics helps you maintain and solve major issues like inflation, deflation, unemployment, and poverty as a whole. Limitations Micro-economics considers some of the impractical presumptions like all people in the economy are employed which is impossible. The process and the composition are inaccurate in the process of assumption that you must know at your end. The tabular format gives the pinpointed explanation of the two concepts. Micro vs macroeconomics has other points of difference too. Let’s elaborate on them to get a complete idea about it. 1. Scope & Analysis Microeconomics deals with the behavior of individual economic agents, such as households, firms, and consumers. It examines how they make decisions regarding the allocation of resources, the production of goods and services, and the determination of prices for specific products. Macroeconomics, on the other hand, looks at the broader economy as a whole. It studies total variables of the economy, like national income, unemployment rates, inflation, and overall economic growth. It is one of the fundamental differences between Micro vs macroeconomics. 2. Focus Microeconomics focuses on the specific details of economic transactions and interactions at the individual level. It delves into topics like supply and demand, consumer choices, market structures, and the behavior of firms in different industries. Macroeconomics takes a bird's-eye view of the economy, looking at the overall performance of the economy, including issues like economic growth, inflation, and the business cycle. It aims to understand and analyze the economy's general health and stability. 3. Key questions Microeconomics answers questions such as "How do consumers make choices?" or "How do firms maximize profit?" It is concerned with issues like individual pricing decisions and resource allocation. Macroeconomics tackles questions like "What determines the overall level of employment in the economy?" or "What causes inflation or recession?" It seeks to understand the factors influencing the overall health and stability of an economy. How does the inventory turnover ratio get the impact of it? 4. Policy Implications Microeconomics primarily informs individual and firm-level decision-making. It is less directly tied to government policies, although it does have implications for regulatory and competition policies. You can go through the website of Byjus as well to get a clearer picture. Macroeconomics is closely linked to government policies and monetary and fiscal measures. It provides insights for policymakers to manage and stabilize the overall economy, such as through monetary policy, fiscal policy, and taxation. 5. Tools & Methods Microeconomists often use tools like supply and demand curves, consumer utility theory, and market structures. To analyze individual economic decisions and interactions. Macroeconomists use tools like national income accounting, aggregate demand and supply models, and monetary and fiscal policies. To study the overall behavior of the economy. Investopedia is also of the same opinion. How Are Micro & Macro Economics Interrelated? Microeconomics studies the aggregate structure, whereas Macroeconomics is itself the aggregates. In this way, both are interrelated to one another. You cannot learn macroeconomics without knowing microeconomics. 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