- Lock the compromised account. Dispute any fraudulent charges on your compromised accounts and ask to have them locked, or even shut down.
- Place a fraud alert on your credit reports. This helps alert creditors that someone may be trying to open accounts in your name. Contact one out of the three credit bureaus to add the fraud alert to all three. Visit Equifax.com or Experian.com or Transunion.com.
- Consider a credit freeze. This will make it impossible for the scammer to open a credit line or loan in your name.
- Alert the FTC (Federal Trade Commission). Visit https://www.identitytheft.gov and follow the site’s instructions.
- Strengthen your passwords. In addition to changing them, use strong and different passwords for all your online accounts.
- Check your account statements. It’s best to do so frequently to look for suspicious activity.
- Open new credit cards and accounts. Replace compromised accounts that you’ve shut down so you can be inconvenienced as little as possible.
- Repair your credit. Be extra careful about paying your bills on time and keeping your credit utilization low.
Your Turn: Have you ever been the victim of credit card fraud? Share your story with us in the comments.