Riskiest places to use your
credit card..........................
Even if you use the utmost caution, you can still be a victim of credit card
fraud. Credit card companies and banks are more and more often putting the onus
of catching phony or incorrect credit card charges on the consumer.
The most important thing is to check your billing statement, of course. Here, we
take a look at the riskiest places you might use your card, according to
Creditcards.com , and what you can do to avoid the dangers
Flea market merchants are often transient and can be difficult to locate if
there is a problem with charges. If you're going to the flea market, take cash.
It's also easier to negotiate that way.
Unsolicited email offers
Unless you've signed up for solicitations from particular companies, be wary.
Check the URL in the e-mail. If it looks suspect, don't click on it.
Non-bank-owned ATMs
Encryption at these ATMs is often not as good as at bank ATMs, meaning some
locations are just not as safe. These ATMs also are more likely to be hacked.
Non-secure online checkout
General common sense. Any safe, reputable e-commerce site is going to have a
secure checkout page, like the one shown at left. If that doesn't appear, it
should be a red flag. You can almost be sure it's not legitimate.
Purchases on smart phones
Purchases on smart phones can also be less than secure. If your smart phone
connects to a public wi-fi signal, you're going to be much less secure. Someone
else can potentially see the transaction, or malware can be placed on your
device that can potentially transmit your personal information
Suspect swipe terminals
If there's something that looks suspicious at an ATM or a petrol pump credit
card swipe terminal - like a separate stand-alone device for you to swipe your
card through - or something looks like it's been added onto the terminal, think
twice about using it.
Small shops/cafes in foreign countries
These smaller merchants have a significantly higher percentage of credit card
fraud as reported by large banks and credit card companies. Many of these
transactions end up being written off by the banks because the merchants simply
can't be located.
Wifi hotspots and public computers
If you're going to be making online transactions over an unsecured wireless
connection like in cafes, parks and other hot spots, data can be compromised or
seen while in transit, even if you're on a secure page while you're checking
out. The same goes for public computers like in libraries.
Strange and foreign domain extensions
If you're going to be shopping online, it's best to stay with sites that use a
.com extension. And be sure they have a secure checkout. With extensions for
countries outside Australia - like .ru for Russia - use caution and make sure
the company you're purchasing from is actually located in the country depicted
in the domain extension.