Because the coronavirus has forced so much online it’s commonplace for businesses to request your credit card information. Restaurants, gyms, and hair salons are now opening at limited capacity, you might find that they require that you hold your spot with a small deposit.
As we adjust to purchasing so many things online, it might become more common for strangers to ask for your card number, making fraud harder to detect. Here are 6 strategies that will help avoid fraudsters.
6 ways to protect yourself against credit card fraud
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Trust your intuition
Don’t ignore your “spidey sense”. If something seems off, don’t click it. Do not engage. Look before you click and examine closely before you share information
2. Check suspicious URLs and/or domain names
If you get an email or encounter a website with a strange domain that ends in .zz, .info, etc. instead of .com or .org, don’t trust it. Use Whois.com or another website to check the registration information if you believe a scam is involved.
3. Directly call the business or person requesting the information
Banks, government agencies, and most retailers and other businesses will not call you and ask for personal information. If someone calls or sends you an email asking for these items. Check the number they are calling from. Always contact that institution directly. Don’t share the information. Hang up, look up the number and call them back.
