How to Report Credit Card Fraud
Contact your credit card company. Call your credit card issuer’s main number and ask to be redirected to the fraud department. Explain the circumstances of how your credit card information got compromised, and request that they freeze or completely close down the affected accounts. Always reach out to your card issuer as soon as you possibly can. You can’t be held liable for unauthorized charges on a card you’ve already reported as missing/stolen. Did you know? Credit card fraud is typically legislated at a state level, so it depends on your state (and the severity of the fraud) if it’s considered a felony or not. In some cases, however, it can be treated as a federal crime.
Contact a credit bureau and request a free fraud alert. Reach out to either Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion and ask for a fraud alert to be placed on your information. Alerting the credit bureaus lowers the chance of more fraudulent activity happening. Don’t worry about calling all 3 companies—whichever company you call will let the other bureaus know about your fraud report.
Submit a report to the FTC. Visit the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) website and submit an official report about your credit card fraud. Select “I want to report identity theft” or “Someone has my information or has tried to use it, and I’m worried about identity theft” on the first page of the form and provide as much information as you can about the problem. Alternatively, call the FTC to report your situation that way. After submitting your report, the FTC should give you an Identity Theft Report, which is necessary when filing a local police report. The FTC doesn’t technically “investigate” your case on a judicial level, but they do collect and provide Identity Theft Reports to law enforcement agencies. Groups like the FBI help investigate identity theft; in fact, the FBI has asked recent victims of identity theft to get in touch.
File a credit card fraud police report locally. Bring your FTC Identity Theft Report, along with a copy of a past bill (or some document with your address), your official ID (like a driver’s license or passport), and any other useful evidence/documentation about the credit card fraud. Once they’ve taken your information, request a copy of the report to have in your own records. You don’t have to make a police report, but it may be helpful if the credit card fraud happened locally.
What Comes Next
Get your credit report updated. Send a physical letter to Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion that contains your FTC Identity Theft Report, along with copies of documents that have your identifying information, like your name, social security number, and address. Clearly state how your current credit report was impacted by credit card fraud, and explain what parts of it need to be marked as fraudulent. Equifax address:P.O. Box 105069Atlanta, GA 30348-5069 Experian address:P.O. Box 9554Allen, TX 75013 TransUnion address:Fraud Victim Assistance DepartmentP.O. Box 2000Chester PA, 19016 In this case, you do have to touch base with all 3 bureaus.
Report any fraudulent credit card charges made. Call your credit card company and identify all the specific charges that were fraudulently made so the company can get rid of them. Once every false purchase is removed, request an official document to prove that your credit card company cleared the fraud.
Request an extended fraud alert. Call Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion and ask for an extended fraud alert if you’re concerned about future fraud. This type of alert is completely free and is good for 7 years—during this time, any new credit lines opened in your name must be confirmed with you. You’ll need a copy of your FTC Identity Theft Report before you can do this.
Follow up with your credit card company. If your credit card company still holds you liable for the fraudulent debt, call them again and send over a copy of your FTC Identity Theft Report. Once your credit card company officially absolves you, get their statement in writing for extra confirmation.
How to Prevent Credit Card Fraud
Inspect your credit reports weekly. Visit AnnualCreditReport.com to receive a free copy of your credit report each week. Be sure to get reports from all 3 credit bureaus rather than relying on just one. Credit card fraud can potentially affect your credit score by making it increase or drop unexpectedly. All 3 credit bureaus offer credit monitoring services, though only Experian offers a completely free one.
Keep tabs on your credit card statements. When a new credit card statement comes in, take a close look and make sure that all the numbers make sense. Do you recognize all the payments, or do you detect any suspicious activity? A careful look-over can help you tackle potential credit card fraud right away.
Steer clear of potential scams. Scams come in all shapes and sizes, but they often come in digital form as phishing attacks. Phishing emails and texts try to trick the recipient into giving away personal information by masquerading as a reputable company, or by offering a cool deal. Treat your digital messages with caution, and always be 100% certain before clicking any links or giving your personal information away.
Keep your credit cards in a secure place. A purse or other secure area is a great spot to keep your credit cards safe. Make sure you don’t write your PIN down anywhere, and that you don’t give your credit card information to anyone unless you completely trust them.
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