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Keep Your Credit Card & Identity Safe Online
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Cybertheft is a part of cyberspace, just as purse snatchers are a part of our brick-and-mortar lives. Every online vendor works to keep your data secure, but breaches can happen, at companies small and large. Below are steps you can take to help keep your information safe.
Tips to Keep Your Data Protected:
- Review your credit card accounts on a regular basis.
- Use credit cards instead of debit cards when ordering online. Credit cards are less vulnerable than debit cards because they do not touch your cash. Most banks quickly reverse fraudulent credit card charges.
- Use "virtual" or single-use card numbers from your bank. These are less vulnerable than your regular card number because their use is limited.
- Use a PayPal account (PayPal Express) to pay for online purchases. It is more secure than most store's credit card systems (although even PayPal could be hacked).
- Check your credit report for indications of identity theft. Use the free annual credit report from https://www.annualcreditreport.com. Watch out for fee-based credit reports with similar names that claim to be free, but actually charge a monthly fee.
- If you think your data has been compromised, request a "fraud alert" to be placed on your credit file (details below).
Finding A Previous Payment Method:
Determining how you paid for a previous Rings & Things online-store order can be confusing since credit cards are handled by a PayPal service.
- Log in to our online store.
- Click "View Previous Orders".
- Click "Order Details" for the order you would like to check, then see what it says next to "Payment Method".
- If you paid with "PayPal-PayFlow-Pro", you paid by directly using your credit card.
- If you paid with "PayPal Express", you paid using a PayPal account.
Using Credit Report Services
Annual Credit Report is a once-a-year free credit reporting site. This site is easy to use and contains a wealth of information about ID Theft.
You have the right to ask that nationwide consumer credit reporting companies place "fraud alerts" in your file to let potential creditors and others know that you may be a victim of identity theft. A fraud alert can make it more difficult for someone to get credit in your name because it tells creditors to follow certain procedures to protect you. It also may delay your ability to obtain credit.
You can request a fraud alert be placed in your file by calling just one of the below three nationwide consumer credit reporting companies. As soon as that agency processes your fraud alert, it will notify the other two, which then also must place fraud alerts in your file.
An initial fraud alert stays in your file for at least 90 days. An extended alert stays in your file for seven years. To place either of these alerts, a consumer credit reporting company will require you to provide appropriate proof of your identity, which may include your Social Security number. If you ask for an extended alert, you will have to provide an identity theft report. An identity theft report includes a copy of a report you have filed with a federal, state, or local law enforcement agency. For more detailed information about the identity theft report, visit www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft/.
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