What to Do About an Unauthorized Credit Card Charge

May 20, 2013 by andrew

Credit card backgroundUnauthorized credit card charges are guaranteed to be a pain to deal with, especially if your financial situation is strained. Unauthorized charges may be as a result of clerical error, computer issues, or pure credit card theft or fraud. Regardless of the cause, be sure to follow the steps below to avoid paying for the purchases you did not permit.

1.      Contact Your Credit Card Issuer

Most credit card companies have customer care service at all hours. Call them as soon as you notice the unapproved transaction in your credit card. The right move is then to deactivate the card and ask them to issue you a new one.

2.      Write Them a Formal Letter

Next, write a letter to your issuer explaining you are not the one who made the transaction(s). Be sure to include your full name, credit card number/account number, and a copy of your credit statement, clearly indicating the unauthorized charges. Some companies will need a signed affidavit from you, stating that you are not the one who made the disputed transactions.

3.      Don’t Worry About Liability

You should not be responsible for any fraudulent charges under the law. The federal law puts the maximum liability at $50 for a reported card. However, cards like the Discover It Credit Card have a $0 fraud liability, which means you do not have to pay for any unauthorized purchases.

atm keys4.      Prevent Further Problems

Be keen on protecting your credit card number so you don’t have to deal with this hassle again. Some things to do include:

  • Doing what you can to not expose your credit card number or PIN to other shoppers while making purchases.
  • Never give out your credit card numbers over the phone or on the internet, unless the company you are dealing with is certainly reputable.
  • Monitor your account regular through your issuer’s website.
  • Always keep track of all your credit card usage. Use receipts to compare them with the credit card statement to check for unauthorized charges.

 

Sources: 

  • http://www.indexcreditcards.com/finance/creditscore/reporting-credit-card-fraud.html

Photo credits: Credit cards — Natloans,  ATM Keypad–Redspotted