Be vigilant. Check your credit card purchases on-line on a weekly basis. This allows you to mentally check the purchases while they’re still fresh in your memory and makes it easier to catch a bogus charge before it gets lost among your other purchases.
Be organized and keep records.In our consumer-driven, throwaway culture, few of us keep receipts for small, personal purchases. Relying on the electronic trail of breadcrumbs that comes with each swipe of our card leaves us vulnerable to false charges.
Report your concern(s) in writing.It is important that you do this no more than 60 days after receiving the bill that contains the charge you are contesting. Include your bank’s name, your name and account number, the dollar amount of the suspected error and the posting date of the questionable transaction.
Review charges from companies operating under names you do not recognize.Call or email the company if you do not recognize the charge. Some companies operate under incorporated names that differ from the name used by the establishment for retail, marketing or other public purposes.
Check your credit report at least once a year.This will allow you to make sure that everything in your credit history is accurate and up to date.
Tags: Credit cards