Virginia Credit and Debit Card Fraud Laws

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There are many types of credit and debit card frauds, and they change as frequently as new technologies are launched. Hence, it is almost impossible to list them all in. But there are two main categories, viz. “card not present” and “present card.” Virginia credit and debit card fraud laws cover both these scenarios.

  • “Card not present” is typically the most common type of credit or debit card fraud that occurs when the information of the holder of the bank account is stolen and illegally used without the physical presence of the card. Such scam most often occurs online and may be the result of so-called phishing or phishing emails sent by scammers who present themselves as credible institutions to steal personal or financial information through a link to a malicious program.
  • The second case of “present card,” although it is becoming less common, occurs when a seller passes the card through a device that stores your information and then uses it to charge other purchases not made.

THE MECHANISM

Considering Virginia credit and debit card fraud laws, the fraud with credit and debit cards is facilitated, in part, because transactions with this payment system are a simple, two-step process: authorization and settlement.

In the beginning, those involved in the transaction (the client, the merchant and the banks that make and receive the transfer) send and receive information to authorize or reject a specific purchase. When the purchase is approved, it goes through settlement via a cash exchange, which usually takes place several days after the authorization. But once the purchase has been authorized, there is no going back.

This means that all fraud detection measures must be performed during the first step of a transaction, says a reliable attorney having extensive expertise at Virginia credit and debit card fraud laws. However, the rejection of a transaction only occurs in two situations

  • if the balance in the account of the cardholder is insufficient; or
  • if, based on the data provided by the bank, there is suspicion of fraud.

HOW TO COUNTERACT FRAUD?

Based on the state research, examining how advanced statistical as well as probabilistic techniques could better detect fraud, it can be concluded that sequential analysis and the use of new technologies are key factors. Here are your golden rules considering Virginia credit and debit card fraud laws to save yourself from credit and debit card frauds:

  • First, never click on links in emails asking for personal information, even if the sender seems to be your own bank.
  • Before buying any product from an unknown company online, search the internet for the name of the seller, to determine if the opinion of consumers has been positive.
  • When making online payments, check that the web page address starts with “https: //” which constitutes a communication protocol for the secure transfer of data.
  • And, finally, it confirms that the website does not contain grammatical errors or strange words, since that suggests that it may be false, designed only to steal financial data.

Virginia Credit and Debit Card Fraud Laws – call us at 888-437-7747.