Por Bárbara Pérsico
En esta noticia
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFBP) explains on its official website the steps that all credit card holders who were victims of identity theft must follow, and the experts’ first instruction is to close the affected account as soon as possible.
In addition, there are other key steps -such as filing the corresponding reports- that must be taken to eliminate any extra charge that does not correspond to the holder’s use.
Canceling a credit card in the United States: how it is done
The CFBP indicates that to close a credit card account, it will be necessary to call the issuing company, explain the situation, and accompany the request with a written notice. This last step is a formal instance to leave a record of the request.
It is essential to consider that all people with an outstanding balance must pay what they owe on time, regardless of whether the account continues or not.
The official advice is to check the cardholder agreement and consult with the corresponding company about any questions related to this procedure.
“Among other provisions, the cardholder agreement details the applicable fees, your responsibility for unauthorized transactions, and the annual percentage rate (APR) of the card. If you have lost the cardholder contract, you can obtain it on the issuer’s website or by calling the issuer,” it states.
What to do if someone stole my credit card or the number
Those who have been victims of identity theft must report it at IdentityTheft.gov; after this step, they will receive a personal plan with the steps they must follow.
“For example, you can contact the national credit reporting agencies for help with activating fraud alerts or freezing your credit report, as well as blocking or removing fraudulent debts,” it is indicated.
What happens if the card is stolen and purchases are made
According to what is stated in a post reviewed in January of last year, when someone uses a cardholder’s card without their permission, and it was previously reported stolen or lost, the maximum charge that can be charged is 50 dollars.
“Many cardholder agreements say that you are not responsible for any charges in this circumstance,” it states. The same applies if the card was not lost, but the account number was stolen.