CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A new report from Security.org found 52 million Americans experienced credit card fraud in the last year.
With most Americans now using credit and debit cards to pay, digital criminals have ample opportunity to commit fraud.
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Security.org says 60% of card-holding adults have been victimized at least once. But experts say most of these crimes are preventable. People often become victims because they don’t fully understand how credit card crimes work.
People assume their accounts are protected as long as they keep their physical cards safe, but the report says most unauthorized transactions involve credit cards that were not lost or physically stolen.
In fact, criminals are getting ahold of credit card numbers in various ways, including phishing attempts, skimming, and hacking personal data through malware or public WiFi.
Here are some things experts say users do that make themselves targets for these crimes:
- Using the same credit cards for autopay and everyday spending.
- Using the same password for more than one online account.
- Storing credit card info on your web browser and using public WiFi.
The study says the best way to protect your account is to set up spending alerts, so you can get notified immediately if there are any unauthorized charges.
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