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Would you think that you could be the next victim for credit card fraud? Did you envisage a situation wherein you were caught off-guard and saw that your credit has been embezzled off your cards? If you were thinking this wouldn’t happen to you, you were dreaming. It could be you next and these tips could just save your bank account from getting busted:

Bad Credit; No cards

Do try and remember that your chances of getting a credit card aren’t so bright. So next time someone out there offers you a card, you can smell fish right away. Legitimate credit card companies do their best not to do business with those have bad credit. Hence your move would be to repair your credit and approach these companies. The fraudsters often target people with bad credit histories and promise them cards. Don’t fall for promises that you’ll get a credit card even if you have bad credit

Na na! Don’t pay right away

If the credit card company is legitimate, they usually don’t ask for any sort of upfront payments/fees. Even if there is an application fee, it is bound to be inconsequential and affordable. If you do take the pains of going through the “terms and conditions” before signing the dotted line, you will be able to discern the annual fees (if any) and all sorts of other fees. It is not that you would get a card for nothing, but being on vigil will help you to know what you have t pay.

Don’t succumb to spam

Stay away from those tons of emails you get into your inbox titillating you with mind-blowing offers and the like. Hey, if you need a card, you might as well go out there and seek the card you want and stay away from the Internet. Of course, you might want to apply for cards using a legitimate bankers/credit card company’s website, but don’t succumb to those offers on email. Don’t touch spam.  These unsolicited emails are usually fraudulent and the miscreants have just one agenda in mind: to fish sensitive information off you.

Get a “secured” credit card if you have a “bad” credit

Think of this secured credit card as an insurance policy type credit card. The way this works is that you deposit an X amount of money with card issuing company/bank up to the credit limit of your card and if you fail to pay up the due amount, the company/bank uses up that amount deposited. You may not accrue interest on the account, but it’s a good way to start rebuilding your credit.   If you have a bad credit rating, this is your best bet and the only legitimate one. Anything else that sounds too good to be true is really too good and hence risky.

Avoid Fancy Cards

Have you ever thought why on earth you would need gold or silver credit cards and end up paying a little more than usual? It is really fancy. As is, the concept of credit card takes you one notch down by submerging you into debt and you have been asking to embellish your submersion? These cards are more expensive, they ask for an annual fee and can be used to buy over-hyped and expensive products on some fancy catalogues. The knell has been sounded; The ball’s in your court.

Yell, when you have to

Did we have to mention this? Wasn’t it obvious? Hell, no. Surprisingly, it isn’t obvious and people seem to think twice about getting help even when they really need it the most. If you realize that you are getting into credit problems or see that you are unable to pull yourself out of a vicious debt cycle, it is time to ask the experts and approach counseling. Of course there are two lines of debate here — the DIY (Do it yourself) and the “Ask Me” — the call is yours, but the action is still important. As an option, you could accost your local Consumer Credit Counseling Service (CCCS) can provide advice about how to build a good credit record and help you with their services.

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