How can you be certain that your accounts are safe? Check them, check them and check them again. Checking your financial accounts daily is a great way to identify irregular or questionable charges. Unfortunately, many people do not these method and find out when their card is declined at the register. 

What am I supposed to do if my bank/credit accounts have been compromised?

Discovering that your accounts have been compromised is as frustrating as nailing gelatin to a wall. I personally have had my checking account hacked and it is infuriating. I have also been the person on the phone that you talk to when something is not right with your cash accounts and it is not a fun day when I tell someone what has happened and how long it might take to get those funds back.

In the previous segments, we discussed what devices to keep eye for and how to spot them. Detective Francis also mentioned that one of his cases involved a wiring device inside the pump. While we may not discover the device at the point of sale, we will notice it on our bank statements.  We asked Detective Francis and our banking expert what do we do if we have been the victim of fraud? Their tips are below. 

• First and foremost, cancel/block the card
• Contact the financial institution (card company) and verify all funds in question
• Take that information to the authorities
• Many financial institutions require a police report
• Call your institution with the police report information and the bank will typically refund the money stolen

Often the bank will disburse the customer the funds that were stolen and will call the Police department to be put on the Police report. This is done so that if the criminal is found and convicted, the bank can be named as a victim. It can take up to 30 business days to retrieve the funds from bank/card company.

 Company Fuel Card

Please be aware that your company fuel card is also your tool for receiving cash advances. Monitoring the advances on your Driver Dashboard will keep you up to date with your advance accounts. 

A good website to use for identifying the latest scams is the Identity Theft Resource Center website, they provide information about scams, data breaches, identity theft, and much more.