On May 15, 2016, a hundred individuals in Japan stole a sum equivalent to 12.7 Million USD from 1400 convenient stores within three hours. They used 1600 credit card numbers stolen from a south African bank, and disappeared into thin air.
What Happens When Your Bank Suspects of Fraud?
Every year hundreds of millions of dollars are invested by banks and credit card companies in development of credit card fraud detection programs and methods. These companies follow and monitor millions of transactions a day in an attempt to map and find patterns anomalies that suggest fraudulent action is taking place.
Usually, you will not be aware that your credit card is being monitored until you make an unusual purchase. A visit to Paris with your American credit card might alert your credit card company that your card has been stolen. Similarly, unusual purchases of large sums, especially online, would prompt an alert and often require your authorization before the purchase is approved.
Credit card fraud detection requires the collaboration of the intelligence of men, and calculating powers of machines, that try to foresee the next theft. The reason is simple enough, not only millions of dollars are lost every year to fraudulent actions, but every single theft affects multiple people and organizations: the credit card legal owner, the business that approved the purchase and the credit card company.
Easy Steps to Credit Card Fraud Detection
Although you can be confident that credit card fraud detection specialists are monitoring your credit card’s every transaction, preventing theft before it occurs, there are a few things you should keep in mind:
Credit card fraud detection becomes extremely difficult when it is a small-sum theft. Especially, if your card is used locally, in your home or work city. A smart thief would use your card to make multiple purchases of up to 10-20 dollars. By the time you realize that you did not make the purchase, it might be too late to dispute the purchase and prove that a theft occurred. Install your bank’s mobile app to safely and easily monitor any transactions made on your card every single day.
Some experts suggest to use a credit card, rather than a debit card for any online purchases. The reason is simple enough: Debit card purchases are deducted from your bank account immediately, whereas credit cards purchases are deducted at the end of the month. If someone gets your hands on your credit card details, you would be able to see the purchase and block the card before the sum is taken out of your credit card account.
The price of becoming a victim of credit card fraud is twofold: apart from the money stolen from your account, which, in most cases is returned to you after an examination of the case, even the smallest suspicion that your card was involved in fraud would result in the card being temporarily or permanently blocked. This might result in unpaid bills and inconvenience until a new card is issued.
Don’t take an unnecessary risk. Take the responsibility and monitor your cards daily.