How To Protect Yourself Against Fraud

This is a compensated campaign in collaboration with CHASE and #WeAllGrow Latina Network.

Protect yourself against fraud at all time. It’s so important. It was the last place I would have ever filled up my gas tank in any other situation. This was the type of place my mother warned me about…an unmanned gas station in a city I was unfamiliar with. But the needle was below empty, and with 2 kids in the car, the last thing I wanted to do was get stuck.

I don’t remember all of the details that ensued, but I do remember a woman appearing out of nowhere to ask for help with the pump. She seemed innocent enough, and I always try to help when I can. Nothing about the situation seemed awry except for that woman. Nothing set of alarms in my head that I should protect myself from credit card fraud. I helped her swipe her card, returned to my car and continued with the rest of my day, although somewhat unsettled.

The next day, I woke up in need of a caffeine boost, so I ordered oatmeal and a latte at my local coffee shop. Declined. Puzzled, I asked the person working to swipe the card again. I hadn’t traveled out of the country and I never once lost possession of my credit card. Declined. A sinking feeling washed over me and I knew…my card had been skimmed at the unmanned gas station the previous day. I called my credit card company who confirmed that they declined a large purchase in another state the evening prior. Apparently, the person who stole my credit card information successfully made several smaller purchases before attempting a larger one. The bank associated with that credit card is Chase, and had they not been so vigilant about fraud, I might have found myself responsible for purchases I did not authorize.

Protect Yourself Against Fraud with Chase

How Chase Helps Protect You Against Fraud

Credit card fraud and identity theft are a growing concern in the US. Fortunately, banks like Chase have systems in place to protect you. For example, Chase offers Zero Liability Protection so that if unauthorized charges are made with your credit card or account, you are not held responsible. Additionally, Chase uses tools to monitor for fraud 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and will alert you if something unusual is suspected on your account. Lastly, Chase introduced embedded chip technology to protect cards from unauthorized use. But what can you do to protect yourself against fraud? Certified Financial Planner and founder/CEO of Financially Wise Women Brittney Castro shares her best tips for preventing fraud.

What You Can Do To Protect Yourself Against Fraud

As soon as I secured my first job, my mother helped me open up bank accounts and apply for a credit card. She used this experience to teach me about budgeting and how to protect myself on the financial frong. As a Latina woman, my mother also instilled within me the importance of taking control of my finances by becoming educated and aware of what is going on with my accounts. Today, in light of Hispanic Heritage Month, I’m sharing her tips, along with some important information from Chase, about How To Protect Yourself Against Fraud.

Never share your pin, password, or identifying information. Whenever my mother and I would go to the ATM, she would remind me to keep the keypad covered when I input my pin. She also reminded me to take a quick look around to be sure no one was close enough to see it. As an adult, I also find that changing my pin quarterly helps to ensure my information has not been compromised.
Check your credit card statements monthly. As a young adult, a friend shared her story of credit card fraud. It took several months for both her and the bank associated with the card to detect the fraud, since the person who stole her information made small, regular purchases throughout the month. The purchases were not large enough to flag an alert, and my friend was not diligent about checking her statements monthly. In light of my friend’s experience, I now set aside time each month to review the charges made to my account when I pay my bills.
Keep your contact information current with your bank. According to Chase, this helps ensure that you can be contacted immediately when suspicious activity is noted on your account.
Sign up for account alerts. Chase helps you monitor your finances and protect yourself against fraud with their free alerts. Once you’ve signed up, you can choose to receive notifications via email or text regarding low balances, large transactions, account activity and more.
Report suspicious activity immediately. If you notice an unauthorized charge or your card is lost/stolen, be sure to call your bank immediately so that a consumer protection specialist can assist with replacing the card and absolving you of the charges.

As someone who’s been a victim of fraud, I’ve committed to knowing exactly what’s going on with my accounts, and utilizing resources like those offered by Chase to protect my information. For more information on how Chase can help you protect yourself against fraud, visit Chase.com/FraudSecurity.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of CHASE. The opinions and text are all mine.

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Caryn Bailey

Caryn is a NICU nurse by day, blogger by night and mom 24/7. She savors the warm Southern California sun and loves to travel, shopping, baking, reading and frequenting her local tea room. Caryn created the column Lavishly Green for Peekaboo Picks Magazine to share her best tips for going green in style, she is the Former editor for Family Review Network, former OC Family Magazine online contributor, former Orange County Moms Blog contributor, former Evenflo Savvy Parent contributor, former member of the Totsy Advisory Board and former freelance writer for CBS Los Angeles.