Most credit card fraud doesn’t start with a stolen wallet. In a 2026 Security.org survey, only 5% of fraud victims had lost their card first. Everyone else had their number taken through a fake text, a tampered card reader, or a data breach. Everyone else had their number taken through a fake text, a tampered card reader, or a data breach.
If it happens to you, federal law generally means you won’t owe for charges you didn’t make, as long as you report them promptly. The bigger risk comes when a scammer also gets details like your Social Security number. They can use those to open new accounts in your name, and those accounts can show up on your credit report.
1. Phishing, smishing, and quishing
Phishing, smishing, and quishing all try to trick you into typing your card details into a fake site. But the method for stealing your information is different. Phishing uses email, smishing uses text messages, and quishing uses QR codes.
Messages you receive may appear legitimate at first because they often look like they’re from your credit card company or other businesses you have a relationship with. But when you click the link or scan the QR code, it takes you to a fake website (that looks real) where you’re prompted to enter your credit card details.
🚩 Red flag: A message that rushes you to pay a bill, unlock an account, or confirm a charge through its own link or QR code. Close it and go to the company’s site or app yourself.
Read more >> What Is Phishing? Tips to Protect Yourself
2. Skimming and shimming devices
Skimming and shimming occur when scammers install devices at the point of sale, either over or inside the card reader, to capture your credit card information when you swipe or insert your card. The devices store your data to be downloaded later or transmit it wirelessly to the scammers.
💡 What helps: Pay with a digital wallet like Apple Pay or Google Pay when you can. It sends a stand-in number instead of your real card number, so a skimmer has nothing useful to copy. Tapping your physical card also keeps it out of the slot, which is where shimmers sit.
Read more >> What Is Credit Card Skimming and How to Avoid It
Skimmers, shimmers, and what else is out there
Skimmers sit over the card slot and read the magnetic stripe. Shimmers are paper-thin and slide inside it to read your chip, and you can’t see or feel one. Pinhole cameras and keypad overlays capture the PIN that makes the card data usable.
The defense is simpler than the list: tap when you can, and use a digital wallet if you have one. When you have to insert, cover the keypad with your free hand.
3. Fake fraud alerts
Fake fraud alerts trick you into thinking your credit card company is calling about a suspicious transaction. The caller may already know your name or the first few digits of your card. Then they ask for your security code to “confirm you still have the card.”
Some ask you to read back a code that was just texted to you. That code is what gets them into your account.
🚩 Red flag: The caller asks for your security code, PIN, or a code that was just texted to you. Your issuer won’t ask for any of these, because it already has your card details. Hang up and call the number on the back of your card.
4. Public Wi-Fi theft
Most websites and apps now encrypt what you send, so the FTC says public Wi-Fi is usually safe. The bigger risk is a fake network or a lookalike website. A padlock in the address bar only means the connection is encrypted. It doesn’t mean the site is real.
💡 What helps: For payments, use your phone’s cellular data or the company’s own app. That way you don’t have to wonder whether the network or the site is real.
Read more >> How to Protect Your Online Banking Information
5. Account takeover scams
Some scammers contact the credit card company and pretend to be you in an attempt to take over your account after stealing your information. If they’re able to gain access, they change your login and password, so you can’t sign in anymore.
🚩 Red flag: You suddenly can’t log in, or you get a password change notice you didn’t request. Call the number on the back of your card right away, then turn on multi-factor authentication once you’re back in.
6. Charity and shopping scams
The cornerstone of charity and shopping scams is fake websites that look legitimate but steal your credit card information when you enter it. In the case of a charity scam, you may also receive a call asking you to make a donation over the phone.
🚩 Red flag: Pressure to give or buy right now, a price far below what other stores charge, or a request to pay by gift card, wire transfer, or crypto. For a charity, look it up on your own before you donate. For a store, search its name plus “scam” or “reviews” before you check out.
How to protect yourself from credit card scams
- Turn on transaction alerts in your card’s app. They flag a charge as it happens, so you don’t have to wait for the statements.
- Don’t click on links. If you’re unsure whether an email or text message you receive is legitimate, don’t click on any links. Instead, call the company using the phone number from its official website (not the email or text message). If the message appears to be from your bank or card issuer, call the number on the back of your credit or debit card.
- Go to the site yourself. Type the address or open the company’s app instead of following a link.
- Enable multi-factor authentication. MFA adds a layer of security to your account by requiring a second piece of information, such as a biometric identifier or verification code.
Read more >> How to Protect Yourself From Credit Card Fraud
What to do if you’re a victim of a credit card scam
Despite your best efforts to keep your accounts secure, your card information can fall into the wrong hands. If you’re the victim of a credit card scam, you should:
- Call your card issuer. Use the number on the back of the card or in the app, where you can often lock the card right away. Ask them to reverse the charges and send a new card. Then follow up in writing. The FTC says the issuer should get your letter within 60 days of the first statement that showed the charge.
- Update your autopay. A new card number breaks recurring bills, and a missed payment there can show up on your credit.
- Report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. If someone opened accounts or used your Social Security number, go to IdentityTheft.gov instead, which builds a step-by-step recovery plan.
- Check your credit reports for unauthorized accounts. You can get free copies of your credit reports once a week from each of the three credit bureaus at www.AnnualCreditReport.com. If you find accounts you didn’t open, dispute them directly with each bureau for free. Kikoff’s AI Credit Disputes can also help you dispute errors on your credit report for free.
- Set up a fraud alert or a credit freeze. If more than your card number was exposed, a fraud alert is free, lasts one year, and you only have to contact one bureau. A freeze is also free, but you place it with all three bureaus. It blocks new accounts until you lift it.
Read more >> How to Handle Fraudulent Charges on Your Account
Bottom line
When a card number is stolen, the issuer can usually reverse the charges, and federal law limits what you owe. What’s easy to miss comes later. Stolen personal details can be used months afterward, and a one-time look at your credit report won’t catch that.
Kikoff’s Credit Monitoring checks your credit report every week, so an account you didn’t open is easier to catch early. Plans start at $5 a month.
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Disclaimer: The information provided in this blog post is meant for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice.
