It often happens that we give our credit cards to various individuals without thinking the implications of doing it. These are the individuals whom we trust blindly. But are we doing the right thing? The reason is, the credit counselors are of the opinion that if we really want to protect our credit accounts, then it is better to not hand over credit cards to certain individuals. Now, who are these certain individuals? How do we distinguish them from the others? Read along to know about them.
You should try to avoid giving your credit cards/store cards to the following individuals.
1.Credit scam investigators: If a police officer or a credit card representative asks you to reveal your credit account details to verify your identity over phone, then know for sure that it is a scam. The reason is, a genuine credit scam investigator or a police officer don't work in this manner. It is said that most consumers give out their credit card access details as these scammers/callers have already made some research on them. They gather information about you from various lists. Then they will call you and reveal some key details about you to make you believe them. If you receive such a call, then either terminate the call or directly call the customer care representative of your credit card company.
2.Friends or relatives: It is most natural to assume that your friends, family members are the most trustworthy people. But sometimes, these are the people who misuse your trust. According to a recent survey, it has been found that friends and relatives are responsible for around 13% of identity theft cases. So, lending your card to your buddy is not at all a good idea.
3.Person working for you: Sometimes, we give our credit cards to the people who work for us for purchasing supplies. The person can be your cook or your personal assistant. They may be outstanding in their work but it is vital to remember that they're after all strangers. You don't know what is going in their mind. So, it is better to not hand over your credit cards to them.
4.Debt collector: If you have defaulted on an account and are working on a payment arrangement with a collection agency, then never make payment through your credit card. Pay the collector in cash or via money order.
Finally, several parents reveal their credit account details to their children. Never, ever do this mistake. If your kid is addicted into playing online games and asks you to give your credit card access details, then you should politely refuse to do it. This is because an hour of playing online games can cost you a lot of money. Your credit card bill can even run up to $800, which is a great amount of money. Your child may not understand about these hard facts now and may end up cost you a huge bill. Surely, you would not like that to happen to you.