It is estimated that 83% of American adults own a credit card, while globally approximately 20% of the entire population uses credit cards. That’s roughly more than 1.6 billion users. Fraudsters have recognized the potential for scams with such a large number of people, and so they have devised various ways to abuse credit card systems to rob bank accounts.

This type of fraud is widespread, and credit card companies are aware of this problem. They constantly invent ways to make credit cards safer and protect their customers. However, scammers constantly find new ways to execute credit card fraud and abuse card information.

Money Back Experts have dealt with countless fraud cases in which people lost all their savings just because they made a small mistake and gave their credit card numbers to a fraudulent trap. We urge the world to take credit card scams seriously, and for this reason, we provide you with this page.

The main mission of the MBX team is to fight scams. We do this by empowering fraud victims and by spreading education so we can proactively prevent scams before they cause damage. Please read our article dedicated to Credit Card Scams so you can protect yourself and your loved ones from this prevalent type of fraud.

How Credit Card Scams Work

The common misconception is that criminals need to steal your physical credit card in order to steal your funds. This is a thing of the past. Though an isolated case of card theft occurs from time to time, nowadays fraudsters don’t need to get a hold of your credit card to access your funds.

All the crooks need are credit card details, and they can execute credit card fraud. Even worse, if they acquire the target’s social security number, they’ll be able to commit identity theft. This is why most online scams are set up to extract people’s credit card and private information, which would enable crooks to completely drain the account and incur debt.

Even after years of helping scam victims and fighting fraud, the MBX team still discovers new ways in which crooks manage to extort people’s credit card details. We will share with you the most common ones so you can learn to avoid them and thus protect your money.

Fake Sites

Fraudulent organizations will set up non-functional sites that work as fronts. They can range from dating sites to e-shops or even credit card lenders. The target is incentivized to leave their credit card information as payment for the platform’s services or as a part of the registration process. In reality, these pages are just smoke and mirrors whose main purpose is to record the credit card details so the scammers can later execute card fraud or identity theft.

Just be careful, these types of fraudulent traps are easy to set up, and crooks churn out great numbers of them.

MBX Tip: Don’t leave your credit card details and private information on questionable sites for whatever reason. Only provide your card information on verified sites of legitimate businesses.

Spoofing Websites

A considerable number of people won’t leave their credit card information on unknown sites. They practice caution and type in their card details only on pages of famous brands. Nevertheless, swindlers have found a way to exploit this as well.

Crooks will set up web pages that steal credit card information just like fake sites, but they will go to great lengths to make these information-siphoning sites look as similar as possible to the legitimate ones. Scammers will copy the content and the design of reputable portals. Furthermore, they will make almost identical web addresses, but just change a tiny detail that is easily overlooked. For example, they replace “o” with “0” or simply replace the domain name.

These differences are very rarely apparent, and unless the person is carefully examining the site, they are unnoticeable. From our experience, in most cases, people don’t know what to look for. The MBX team also understands that people rarely scrutinize the design and the address of the sites they visit. As a result, they can get confused by scamming tactics and believe they are visiting a legitimate site and leave their credit card details, unaware they are falling right into a scam.

MBX Tip: Take a moment to look at the site’s address, email, and tiny details in the design and content. If you feel something is off or looks strange, be careful—it might be a scam.

Phishing

Without a doubt, this is the most common way for scammers to obtain people’s personal and credit card information. In a nutshell, phishing is a type of fraud that involves emails, texts, and all kinds of messages containing dangerous links. The fraudsters do their best to make these messages seem as genuine as possible to trick the unsuspecting recipient into clicking on the dangerous link.

People might receive emails claiming they have received discounts, gifts, or even lottery winnings. These emails insist that people can win money or free luxury items, and all the target needs to do is provide their credit card details.
Since phishing is the most frequent type of scam attack in general and can have severe consequences, the MBX team highly advises you to visit our page dedicated to phishing scams to get more information in greater detail.

MBX Tip: Never click on a link in an email or message from an unknown sender. Even if you receive a link from a person you know, be cautious and suspicious. If possible, always verify whether the sender really intended to send you the link.

Security Checkups

The mission of Money Back Experts is to educate people about the dangers of scams. We sincerely hope that our site can provide the necessary information and tools to proactively avoid scams. If this is the case, our readers understand the utmost necessity of security measures provided by organizations. The MBX team understands that some people might see these security steps as pesky or annoying, but please keep in mind that this is for everyone’s safety. We believe that more needs to be done, and we believe additional protection is required.

That said, scammers are a special type of criminals who always find new ways to exploit the system for their schemes. Nowadays, most credit card holders are used to security measures provided by their companies. This is why they might not find it strange when credit card providers contact them to verify purchases or unusual activities. Fraudsters use this to their advantage.

Through phishing or cold-calling, crooks contact individuals and pretend to be the credit card agency, claiming they are conducting security checkups or some sort of system reconfiguration. Under this guise, they ask for credit card details and vital information like passwords and answers to security questions. The target believes the fake authority and provides this information, enabling crooks to wipe out their account or commit identity theft.

MBX Tip: If you receive an email or a call from your credit card company, don’t engage further. Call the company on their official number and verify if they are really conducting security checkups or system maintenance.

Similarly, scammers are sneaky enough to send messages claiming they are the credit card company or a bank performing security tests. The victim believes it and clicks on the link, which steals their card number and data.

Skimming

Scammers can place special card readers in public places that secretly acquire the target’s credit card number and information. The individual might use their bank-issued credit card in stores or ATMs without realizing that there is an additional card reader stealing their data. Later, scammers can use the stolen data from various credit cards to commit fraud or identity theft.

MBX Tip: Skimming devices are difficult to spot, but try to notice anything unusual near credit card readers, such as ATMs or in shops.

Purchases You Have Never Made

Always be sure to check your credit report at the end of the month. Crooks might abuse your credit card details to shop online for goods, services, or cryptocurrencies. If you notice unusual purchases on your report, take immediate action. Inform your credit card company that you did not authorize the transactions in question. Unfortunately, this type of crime happens quite often, so be vigilant and watchful.

MBX Tip: Regularly check your credit card report.

Don’t Give Up And Get Your Money Back

At MBX, we insist that being a victim of credit card fraud is not just about losing your money. The damage from this crime can be much bigger and long-lasting. It can impact your credit score, your card issuer might block your account, and other credit card companies might deny their services. However, the most dangerous consequence is identity theft, which can emerge months after the theft of your data has occurred.

If you or your loved ones have been victims of a credit card scam, it’s crucial to react quickly. There is a remedy for this type of fraud, and the Money Back Experts Step-by-Step Guide can help you deal with your credit card issuers. We want to empower all victims of scams, which is why our MBX tools are at your disposal.

We hope that by spreading awareness about credit card scams and providing valuable information, we can help protect individuals and prevent them from falling victim to fraud. Remember to stay vigilant, be cautious with your credit card information, and report any suspicious activity to your credit card company immediately.

Stay safe and stay informed!