Credit cards are such a gift to mankind, they help you purchase your favorite items even when you are short on budget and pay later in easy installments. It’s nothing short of a boon for people who love shopping a lot.
However, there are good and bad aspects to everything. The bad aspect of credit cards is hackers and scammers are always running after them. If you have a credit card then you need to be careful because someone can use your card and you wouldn’t even know about it.
Now you must have a question in mind can I track someone who used my credit card online? Don’t worry, I will answer your question in this article in detail. Moreover, I will also tell you some ways using which you can protect someone from using your credit card without your permission. So without wasting any time let’s start. But before that let’s see how hackers use your card without you knowing about it so you can be more careful about it.
Table Of Contents
- How Can Someone Use Your Credit Card Without Your Knowledge?
- Can I Track Someone Who Used My Credit Card?
- Can You Track Credit Card Location?
- How To Prevent Someone From Using Your Credit Card?
- Can Credit Card Fraud Be Traced?
- FAQs
How Can Someone Use Your Credit Card Without Your Knowledge?
Credit cards are really secure and it’s not easy to use them without your permission. However, hackers are too smart and they keep coming up with new tricks to access your credit cards. Some of the most common tricks hackers use to hack someone’s credit card are as follows:
1. Credit Card Skimming
Card skimming is one of the oldest tricks that scammers use and it is still effective. In this trick, they use a skimming device that they attach to an ATM machine. Now whenever someone uses their credit card on these machines the skimming device steals all the information on their credit card. Once the scammer has your card details, they can use them to make online transactions.
2. Data Breach
A data breach is one of the most common reasons behind credit card details getting stolen. This happens when a scammer hacks a website that has your card details stored in it. For example, you have stored your card details on Amazon for quick checkout but if the hacker could hack Amazon they will easily get access to your card details as well.
3. Card Theft
Credit card theft is also a possible reason behind someone else using your card. Suppose someone stole your wallet which had your card. They can use it to withdraw money from ATMs or use it in stores if they are somehow able to know the pin.
You will be in a worse situation if you have enabled contactless payments on your credit card as it won’t require the pin to make the transaction.
Can I Track Someone Who Used My Credit Card Online?
The simple answer would be yes, you can actually track someone who used your credit card online but only with the help of the bank. However, you must inform the bank as soon as possible, if it’s too late then even the bank could do nothing.
As soon as you find out that there is an unknown transaction done on your credit card you should call your bank to inform them about it. In most cases of fraud, the credit card issuer are liable to pay. So you don’t have to worry as you will get your refund. They will also block your card so that the scammer cannot use it anymore.
However, the bank is only capable of tracking the usage of the card, they might not be able to track the scammer’s location. So you might not be able to use your card ever again. But don’t worry you can always apply for a new card.
Can You Track Credit Card Location?
Credit cards don’t have GPS like cell phones. Hence as you can track someone’s phone location but you cannot track your card location once it is lost or stolen. However, if the person who has stolen your card uses it at an ATM or POS machine then the location of the card can be known by tracking the location of the ATM or POS.
How To Prevent Someone From Using Your Credit Card?
1. You need to take good care of the card and keep it safe with you so that no one can steal it. If someone steals your card then they can easily use it.
2. You must only use your card for purchasing stuff online from websites that are secure and don’t look spammy. To ensure that the site is secure the site must have an SSL certificate. If you see a lock icon in front of the site URL then it means it is a safe site if not then you should refrain from using your card on it.
3. Do not click on spammy links you receive on messages or social media because these could install malware on your device. The malware can grant the hacker remote access to your phone and they can steal your bank details including your credit card details.
4. You should not share your card details with anyone over the phone, on social media, or in person without verification.
5. Some people write their pin on the backside of the card to remember it. You should never do that because if your card is lost or misplaced then anyone can use it.
6. Never throw your old credit card in the trash because they still hold a lot of crucial information about you. With that information, a scammer can hack your new credit card and use it without your permission. Hence it is recommended that you destroy your old credit card when you get a new one.
7. Never use your credit card to purchase something online when you are connected to public WiFi. You can use your cellular data or wait till you go home to connect to your personal WiFi.
8. It is a good habit to change your card pin and credit card app password because if you keep the same password or pin for a long time then it’s easy to hack it.
9. If you happen to lose your card then you need to act quickly and block the card. It can be done from the app or you can even call the bank to do the same. Blocking the card will ensure that no one can use it.
10. Protect your PC and phone with an antivirus program. These programs not just remove data-stealing malware but also provide you with a secure online shopping experience.
Can Credit Card Fraud Be Traced?
Tracing credit card fraud is something you can’t do yourself. You have to introduce the bank or credit card issuer into the picture. The bank has technology and resources using which they can track the person who is using your card online or offline. However, in most cases, scammers are really smart and they can’t be tracked. Nonetheless, if this ever happens to you then don’t hesitate to tell your bank. They are the only people who can help you get your money back.
FAQs
What To Do If You're A Victim of Credit Card Fraud?
You must inform your bank about it as soon as possible.
Can You Track A Credit Card With A Chip?
No, you can’t track a credit card with a chip.
Is Credit Card Fraud Common?
Yes, credit card fraud is really common across the globe.
