Baltimore County, MD Hello Baltimore County, 30 Jun 2017

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From YouTube: How Safe are your Credit Cards?

Description

Learn how to protect your valuable “plastic” from creative thieves—whether you’re swiping or web surfing.

A

Welcome to hello, Baltimore County I'm, your host Ellen Kobler, credit and debit cards have been around for decades and we love the convenience. However, credit card fraud continues to increase at alarming rates, we're pleased to have Baltimore, County police, detective Larry Rogers here with some specific do's and don'ts to help us protect these valuable pieces of plastic. Thank you. So much for joining us.

B

I'm glad to be here so.

A

Tell us a little bit about credit card fraud and it's different than identity theft. Credit.

B

Card we call it credit card misuse and when someone actually has the physical credit card, instead of just your number and personal identifying information, they actually steal your credit card, never on your purse or your wallet or you leave it on the counter. Somebody picks it up and.

A

My credit card says something like please: request photo ID on the back. Take a wild guess how many other clerks look at that. Hardly.

B

A

Anything so how do we keep our credit card safe.

B

Carry one or two don't carry all of them. If you have four or five credit cards on a debit card, only carry one or two all.

A

In such acts, the one you're actually going to use that day, while you're out shopping, yeah.

B

Don't use your debit card at a restaurant because they walk away with your credit card. You don't know what they're doing with it and.

A

That's tied to you that.

B

Is tied to your bank account? Never as a credit card is just a piece of plastic that you can stop and cancel right away right.

A

Okay, what about shredding the things with the credit if.

B

You statement, or even your receipts, if your keep not keeping for tax purposes, either put them away or shred them your statements after a couple months, just shred them and make sure you chose.

A

Really, yes, shred your statements.

B

You don't need to keep them.

A

Okay, that's a good idea, and somebody told me one time that at a restaurant I think they were given a blank credit card receipt.

B

That's a thing sometimes at a bar. They may give you so because people walk out on their tab. So have you pre signed? It doesn't happen very often, but sometimes you will be asked to sign of a blank receipt. Okay,.

A

And just write.

B

Zeros or don't sign it right.

A

Here it's a euro store, don't want write zeros, because it's just a place.

B

To the waitress can write whatever now she wants right.

A

It's basically finding point check okay, and to whom, should you give your credit card information like over the phone only.

B

If you initiate the phone call with your credit card company, people will call acting as your credit card. Everybody. A lot of people have Chase or whatever, and they just take a shot in the dark that you have a case court or they found your information and know that you have a chase court, never roll! Don't ever give out your credit card information to somebody that calls you so.

A

They might call and say your credit card ending in these four digits. We just need to confirm something.

B

About the account, because they are.

A

Calling you they should know the number yes.

B

They should so only if you initiate a phone call if you're, making complaint or you're you know wanting to get your interest rate reduced or whatever you call the credit card company. That's the only time you should give out your credit card information. Okay,.

A

And let's talk about the big Bugaboo with credit cards online, very risky, very.

B

Very risky, the biggest thing to look for is, if you're, on a site that you're used to going to Amazon or Ebay, or something like that low beam.

A

Or something like that: a trusted vendor when you log.

B

On to their website to purchase something look up in the top left-hand corner of the address bar and make sure it says, HTTPS and as.

A

B

Secure and then there's a little lock at the bottom right. They look like a closed padlock, a lock.

A

B

A lock image, if that's not there, and then it doesn't say HTTPS, it is not a secure site. Okay,.

A

Now, what about, if somebody you get an email from somebody that says they're every Taylor, don't.

B

Answer it, it's.

A

More than one kind of phishing scam how.

B

Come what they'll do is is the bad guys will take their links like the whole bus or the frankly asked questions actually take that URL put it on their page. Aha,.

A

B

An email and send it to you, you think it's legitimate. It.

A

Looks legit so I guess, let's say you get an email from somebody you you buy from and they say we're having this great sale. I'm guessing you could probably go to their actual website then, and the same sale will be yeah.

B

Yeah another way to do it getting just a little bit to the computer side is, if you highlight the address or the email. If you highlight the email address in the email, it will actually give a little drop-down box and tell you what the actual email address is. So there could be a different email address, you're, actually sending your information to okay.

A

And what happens if you're in that terrible position where you've lost your credit card or it's been stolen,.

B

All right away, the.

A

Caller you call.

B

Call right away doesn't matter if it's gone for ten minutes, if you lose it as soon as you realize, it's gone, can't look right and.

A

Guess where the phone number is on the car.

B

A

Want to make a list and keep it in your.

B

Mailbox or something.

A

With the phone numbers- okay and how about the billing statements, it's important to take a look at them. It.

B

Is and most people don't, then just pay the bill ever, but most everybody pays bills online now and they just see that they have a balance. They get a billing, but they don't look at their statement. There could be a charge on there for ten dollars and it's a fraudulent charge call and and get the card stopped, but just check, no matter how small it is. It could be something but police check your statements, that's the biggest indicator of fraud. Okay,.

A

And these credit cards skimmers where the the criminals come and it's a legitimate place, but how does that work? They'll.

B

Put a know either put a cover, it looks just like the original. There are certain convenience stores that have one type of ATM and they will put a green cover over it, and it looks just like the original. The lights will shine through and flash, and but, as you put your credit card- and it will take your information off, there is an issue with people actually having keys to gas station pumps and they will put an end line skimmer and then it's Bluetooth. So.

A

What do you do, how do you protect yourself grab.

B

It make sure that nothing falls off how.

A

Does it say any rabbit, yes, sir, even in the grocery.

B

Store really to sell machines, just grab it and just pull on it.

A

Well, it's very helpful and people can go to the county website the police department and get some additional. Yes.

B

Ok well, alright,.

A

Thank you very much.

B

A

Thank you for watching hello, Baltimore County. We encourage you to connect with Baltimore County government on Facebook and Twitter, and we will see you next time.

A