Credit Card Fraud: 21 Tips to Protect Yourself

1. Keep an eye on your credit card every time you use it, and make sure you get it back as quickly as possible. Try not to let your credit card out of your sight whenever possible.

2. Be very careful to whom you give your credit card. Don't give out your account number over the phone unless you initiate the call and you know the company is reputable. Never give your credit card info out when you receive a phone call. (For example, if you're told there has been a 'computer problem' and the caller needs you to verify information.) Legitimate companies don't call you to ask for a credit card number over the phone.

3. Never respond to emails that request you provide your credit card info via email -- and don't ever respond to emails that ask you to go to a website to verify personal (and credit card) information. These are called 'phishing' scams.

4. Never provide your credit card information on a website that is not a secure site.

5. Sign your credit cards as soon as you receive them.

6. Shred all credit card applications you receive.

7. Don't write your PIN number on your credit card -- or have it anywhere near your credit card (in the event that your wallet gets stolen).

8. Never leave your credit cards or receipts lying around.

9. Shield your credit card number so that others around you can't copy it or capture it on a cell phone or other camera.

10. Keep a list in a secure place with all of your account numbers and expiration dates, as well as the phone number and address of each bank that has issued you a credit card. Keep this list updated each time you get a new credit card.

11. Only carry around credit cards that you absolutely need. Don't carry around extra credit cards that you rarely use.

12. Open credit card bills promptly and make sure there are no bogus charges. Treat your credit card bill like your checking account -- reconcile it monthly. Save your receipts so you can compare them with your monthly bills.

13. If you find any charges that you don't have a receipt for -- or that you don't recognize -- report these charges promptly (and in writing) to the credit card issuer.

14. Always void and destroy incorrect receipts.

15. Shred anything with your credit card number written on it.

16. Never sign a blank credit card receipt. Carefully draw a line through blank portions of the receipt where additional charges could be fraudulently added.

17. Carbon paper is rarely used these days, but if there is a carbon that is used in a credit card transaction, destroy it immediately.

18. Never write your credit card account number in a public place (such as on a postcard or so that it shows through the envelope payment window).

19. Ideally, it's a good idea to carry your credit cards separately from your wallet -- perhaps in a zippered compartment or a small pouch.

20. Never lend a credit card to anyone else.

21. If you move, notify your credit card issuers in advance of your change of address.

A decent guide on how to avoid being scammed by web-sharks, Good Luck .

Originally posted by By Audri and Jim Lanford - Copyright © Audri and Jim Lanford.

The Work From Home Scams , Part 2

Everyvody has faced now and then ads that tell you that it is amazingly easy to make money over the internet. Work from home ads promising you $$$$$$$$$ money . DO NOT FALL for that ...
Lets see ... These websites try to convince you by mixing the truth with lies. The truth is that , YES there are on-line marketing systems that pay you to show advertisments through your website. This requires that you do have a website . In these systems you are getting paid for the clicks on the ads they provided for you or for the number of impressions these are shown.
In order to make the amount of money these "companies" promise you , you need to have thousands of visitors in your website and most important , clicking on your ads. This is difficult for starters and cannot be the work of 1 week to create so many viewers and therefore money .

The most common scam of this category is the "Google money making bla bla bla..." Websites promising you that by buying their e-books or applications you will create a fortune with google. Google is not paying you for automated clicks on ads and they are smart enough to recognise these kind of illegal applications. So avoid any kind of online marketing system that you have to pay for. Examples to AVOID given:


Google's official website marketing system is adsense and only by using that you can have a profit. https://www.google.com/adsense/ it is not a matter of additional software the amount of money you make but just your web visitors and clicks on your ads.

There is ofcourse lots of theory behind it regarding positioning of ads , colouring and customization over the content of your website but you dont have to pay for all that. Google provides you with written tutorials and videos on how to achieve maximum effect on your revenues.
Thank you very much for your time , feel free to ask me questions on on-line products
and how this system works rather than buy random stuff over the internet.
As always , have fun and ... DO NOT FALL FOR THAT

The Work From Home Scams , part 1.

I am going to divide this part to 2 or maybe 3 sections since lots of the online scams are referring to work from home. On this part I will analyse the "Personal Development opportunities" that numerous web sites are trying to sell to us. Companies that refer to "Personal Development" "Life Coaching" "Change Your Life" "Human Excellance University" and other catchy lines are only trying to do one thing. Make money for themselves and for a limited number of people. Companies like that are
"Liberty League International" http://www.libertyleague.com/
"Ex Navy Seals" http://www.exnavyseal.com/
"Life Path Unlimites" http://www.lifepathunlimited.com/
and numerous others are occupied with making money out of you. Their "sellers" need to create a website of their own inorder to share their experiences . In order to join their foundations you have to PAY a fee and then start selling products like :
CDs & DVDs with Personal development stories , instructions, change of life lessons.
Trips to ... energy conferences in .... exotic places !!! (Don't fall for that)
and fake opportunities in general.
These products might have some appeal to 50-70 year old people who are searching for something to spend time on and not to actual career hunters. You need to invest at least an amount of 2000Euros in order to join the companies actively and start making "profit" .
Lets explain the inevitable of the operations ...
If you accept to join them and pay the entrance fee , you become a part of a team with your leader to be the guy who introduced you. He is obviously making commision out of your money and also gets a share out of your own commisions. You only start making money when your own team, starts making sales themselves. The typical pyramid financial system that is always leading to huge crashes when it fails.
In my opinion these companies might not be 100% scam but it is a good thing if you avoid all that and keep your dignity as a person. Personal development is a personal thing and noone and nothing can lead you to be someone else. This is the reason why salesmen of these kinds of products fail.

• DO NOT FALL BY THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE TALKING TO YOU
• DO NOT FALL BY THE ORGANIZATION THESE PEOPLE SEEM TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE YOU
• DO NOT FALL FOR THEIR CATCHY LINES & HYPOTHETICAL SUPPORT THEY PROVIDE
• DO NOT FALL FOR THE IDEA THAT YOU WILL BE MORE SUCCESFULL BY FOLLOWING THEM OR THAT YOU WILL MAKE THE AMOUNTS OF MONEY THEY TELL YOU ...

ps. in order to join them , apart from paying the entrance fee you have to introduce to them 2 new salespeople ... these can be people really close to you that in case of failure you will be in debt to them .

BE SMART
BE INNOVATIVE
and the rest will come ....

Thank you for your time .