Credit cards are a very popular payment method worldwide, and naturally cyber criminals are always on the lookout to steal card information to commit fraud.

Here are some tips to protect yourself:

• Keep a list of contact numbers where you can report a lost or stolen card for all your credit cards. If your wallet or purse is stolen, report immediately.
• Don't toss your credit card statements directly into the trash - they contain lots of sensitive information. Shred them instead. And that applies to expired credit cards as well.
• On the signature strip behind your cards, don’t sign. Instead write “ASK FOR PHOTO ID”.
• Never give out your full credit card number over the phone. If it’s an automated, interactive voice response call, make sure it was you who initiated the call and that the number you called was an official, trustworthy number.
• Review your credit card statements regularly and make sure no fraudulent activity has occurred. Dispute fraudulent transactions immediately.
• Several card issuers now offer the ability to create an additional password to authorize online payments. Make sure you enable this.

Be Smart. Be Aware. Be Secure. ERMProtect.