How to protect yourself from credit card fraud.
Credit cards give you purchasing power and the ability to help build credit for the future. Unfortunately, fraud knows no boundaries these days, and you should always exercise caution when managing your credit card and other banking tools. Check out a few of our tips to protect yourself from credit card fraud.
Keep your account information private.
Sharing information like your online banking password, PIN or credit card number and CVC could expose you to risk. A rule of thumb: Don’t share your account information with anyone. When creating your password, make sure to use unique, hard-to-guess characters, and avoid obvious references like your dog’s name.
Make sure your contact information is always up to date.
Capital One monitors your account 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If we notice suspicious activity on your account, it’s important to ensure the information we have for you is up to date in case we need to reach you. You can review or update your personal information in online banking. We’ve outlined all the steps in our Support Centre.
Stay on top of your account with our mobile tools.
If you have a Capital One credit card, you can view your account online or through our mobile banking app any time. This allows for quick access to your transaction history, which provides details like contact and website information where available. Note: This is a useful feature if you need to get in touch with a merchant if you ever come across a transaction you’re not sure about.
Shop online … safely.
Buying online is one of the most convenient ways to shop. But it’s important to practice extra vigilance when you’re selecting your payment options. First of all, always ensure you’re connected to a secure network to protect your account information. Secondly, try to avoid saving your account information on any sites, or using the auto-fill feature on your phone. And lastly, only buy from retailers you trust.
If you notice suspicious activity on your account, reach out to us right away so we can look into it.
Not sure how to spot fraud? Check out this article on our Support Centre. And read up on even more ways to protect yourself against fraud.
* If Quick Check pre-approves a card, you can be 100% sure we’ll approve your application as long as:
a. There’s been no change in your credit file information, personal information or financial status from the time you receive your Quick Check results to the time you apply for one of our credit cards;
b. You’re at least the age of majority in the province or territory you live in;
c. Your application isn’t flagged for fraud prevention;
d. You don’t have an existing Capital One account; and
e. You haven’t applied for a Capital One account in the last 30 days or had an account with us that was not in good standing in the last year. In good standing means not past due, over limit, fraudulent, restricted, or part of a consumer credit counselling program or bankruptcy.
In some cases, we may not be able to open an account for you even though your application was approved. This can happen if we’re unable to verify your identity, or you don’t provide the required security funds if you’re approved for a Secured Mastercard®.