Police: Some Stats Say Most Credit Card Thefts Occur at Work

When it comes to your credit cards, playing it safe should never be an option. Criminals out there would love for you to drop your guard and become nonchalant about protecting your credit cards.

Credit cards have become part of our daily lives and theirnumbers will continue to expand as become more of a cashless society. As the numbers increase, so does the chance that more folks will become a victim of theft, fraud and scams.

There are a number of things that you can do to protect yourself from becoming a victim. To start, you should never leave your credit cards unattended at work.  According to some statistics I have seen, there are more credit card thefts in the workplace then in any other single location.

Don’t leave your credit cards in your vehicle. This is a no-brainer. You should not leave anything in your vehicle and we’ll go more into that problem in the future.

Always check your card when it’s returned to you. You need to make sure it is your card and not some worthless one that has already been cancelled.

You should report lost or stolen credit cards immediately. First, call the credit card company to cancel the card to stop the fraudulent activity. Next, if it has been stolen, contact the police.

Make a list of all of your credit cards. While you’re at it, you should make a copy(front and back) of everything in your wallet or purse and keep it at the house. This way, if you lose your wallet/purse, you have all of that information handy.

Always check your monthly statement to look for unauthorizedcharges. If you access your statement online, you should check more frequently.

Officer Larry Jacobs is the Crime Prevention Officer for theSandy Springs Police Department.  He canbe reached directly at ljacobs@sandyspringsga.gov.