Avoiding Common Credit Card Scams

Image: Pixabay

One memorable scene from The Office finds prankster Jim Halpert pushing desk-mate Dwight Schrute’s buttons by impersonating him. Dwight finally snaps: “Identity theft is not a joke, Jim. Millions of families suffer every year!”

Of course, a coworker wearing a similar outfit as you and adopting your vocal affections is a far cry from the decidedly unfunny reality of identity theft — in which a scammer gains access to your personal information and uses it for fraudulent ends.

Furthermore, Schrute wasn’t too far off when he said identity theft can affect many Americans each year. Credit card fraud, one particularly frustrating version of identity theft in which scammers steal credit card numbers in the hopes of running up charges scot-free, reached 270,000 reports in the U.S. in 2019 — doubling since 2017.

Shopping with credit is convenient and can help cardholders reap rewards, but it’s important to protect yourself with the knowledge of how to avoid credit card scams, too.

Know the Credit Card Scam Red Flags

Entities aiming to steal your credit card information may approach the endeavor any number of different ways. It pays to remain vigilant against them all.

According to NerdWallet, here are some common versions of credit card scams:

• Charity scam: Masquerading as a charity, scammers will ask for your credit card info under the guise of using the funds to help others. Keep an eye out for scammers impersonating non-profit organizations or charities via phone or email.

• Wi-Fi dupe: Scammers can set up fake Wi-Fi hotspots, asking users to “log in” with their credit card info. This gives crooks direct access to your data.

• Interest rate con: Someone on the other end of the phone alleges they can help you lower your interest rates. All you have to do is hand over your personal info. A similar version involves scammers posing as representatives from credit counseling agencies, financial institutions or debt relief programs — all of which can be legitimate, but require research before divulging your financial information.

• Overcharge con: Someone on the other end of the phone says you were overcharged for a recent purchase, and that they’d like to help you fix the situation. They may try to sell the scam by mentioning your name or other information to put you at ease.

• ATM/Point-of-Sale skimming: Criminals install a device over ATM or cash register keypads to steal buyers’ card info.

The takeaway? Be very wary about handing over your financial information. Always vet the source before doing so, whether by phone or in writing. Be aware of your physical surroundings while making purchases, too.

Look Over Every Billing Statement

In today’s hyper-convenient world, it’s all too easy to “set and forget” autopay, or even to get in the habit of manually paying bills without looking thoroughly into the actual charges for which you’re paying.

Taking a few minutes every month to scan every itemized charge on your credit card statement can help you verify the legitimacy of all purchases listed. Investigate any odd charges for which you’re unable to account, then reach out to your card issuer as soon as possible to discuss it.

Credit card scams can happen to anyone, anytime. Case in point: London’s Ritz Hotel is currently dealing with a data breach likely stemming from scammers posing as staff members who called to “confirm” guests’ personal info — including payment details. One victim of this scam was asked by these supposed staff members to provide another source of payment, as her first credit card had allegedly been declined. When she did, the scammers tried to charge more than £1000 in retail merchandise.

Avoiding common credit card scams means knowing what they look like, safeguarding your payment info and actively monitoring your statements.

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Prepare a Top Theme Birthday Party Your Kid Will Never Forget

I love celebrating birthdays and sometimes I have a hard time coming up with a theme for my kids unless they pick one out. Here are some fun birthday ideas that Alex wanted to share with you today.

Kids love themed birthday parties, especially if it has to do with their favorite fictional character, super hero or activity. In fact, picking a theme for the party makes it easier to plan the party around it. You can design decorations, plan activities and even create food that complements what the party is about. There are a variety of themes you can explore, and then design activities, games and crafts around it.

Picking A Theme

The party you are planning, depending on the age of your child, can revolve around airplanes, alphabets, baseball or basketball, ocean and beach, bubbles, butterflies, cats, circus or carnival, dinosaur, Dr. Seuss, fairy tale, Harry Potter, ice cream, Looney Tunes, music, medieval kings and queens, nature, nursery rhymes, pirates, Spongebob Squarepants etc. The list can go on. One of the most popular themes, especially with boys, is a Super Hero theme.

Older kids will love ’70s disco themes, jewelry making parties, makeover parties and other activity-based parties where they can get together with friends and create pretty new and wearable things. When planning a theme party, choose a subject, character or superhero that your child is excited by. You’re bound to make the party so memorable for him or her that you’ll probably find it hard to match at the next birthday!

Choosing Games And Activities

Once you’ve got the party theme chosen, you have to think about what you can get the kids to keep themselves occupied with. If you’re having a jewelry making party for older kids, you can have them bead safety pin jewelry. This is easy to do. All that you need to do is to slip seed beads into regular safety pins and create fun jewelry to wear and gift. You’ll find plenty of bead patterns online.

You could also play a game of Bingo with printable theme cards available online. You will find Bingo cards with animal motifs, Dr. Seuss motifs, bug motifs and other popular subjects that kids love.

A treasure hunt makes a great activity for an adventure birthday party for kids. To prepare the kids for it, get your child to write the invites in invisible ink. Maybe have them deliver the invites in a little bottle with instructions on a tag – “Iron Me”. Hang up world maps on a wall or make buntings out of photocopies off an Atlas. Have the kids come in costumes of boots, a hat, maybe a compass and a backpack. Create shelters on your yard out of palm fronds or sheets on branches. Hang plastic spiders and snakes where possible.

If you’re planning a ballet party for your little girl and her little girlfriends, then there could be plenty of pink and white satin and tulle ribbons. Activities could include giving the girls in tutus some basic ballet lessons, having them create their own jiffy shoes with stick on pearls, ribbons, small beads and sequins, glue and puff paints, or a game of dance and ‘freeze’ when the music stops.

Plan activities around other subjects in similar ways – pick activities that everyone can enjoy together, and offer prizes for little contests when you can.

Image Credit: Super Hero Cupcakes on Pinterest

Fancy Dress Parties

Fancy dress parties are always fun because kids can pick their favorite character and act them out. You can choose one story (cartoon or movie) or maybe even better, a broader theme (such as Disney party), so the kids could make their choice more easily.

Think pirate party, where kids dress up as pirates, or Harry Potter parties, where you’ll have little witches, wizards and even dragons coming up for cake.

Batman, Spiderman, Wonder Woman and any hero with a cape can show up at a Superhero Party and little girls in princess costumes, tiaras, queen outfits and plenty of glitter will glide across the yard at a Princess Party.

Plan themes, decorations and fancy food based on the type of fancy dress party you’re having. For instance, a pirate party is just the place to serve jelly boats and little biscuit wands or flower fairy cupcakes will be loved by the little kids in fairy costumes. If your kid is interested in historical films or history, go for a unique and fun theme like a Medieval or Renaissance party. They and their guests can dress up in elaborate gowns, shining armor armors, or glamorous suits and pretend to be lords and ladies from the Middle Ages.

Face painting is a fun activity at costume parties. A soldier can have his face camouflaged with green and brown paints, a soccer player can wear the colors of his favorite team or country on his face and a little girl dressed as a cat can have her face painted to look like one. You can make your own face paint at home, with cornstarch, cold cream, some cold water and food coloring.

The ideas are all there. Come up with some of your own as well. Get creative and start planning your child’s unforgettable birthday party. You’re bound to have as much fun planning it as the kids will have being a part of it on the big day!

Alex is a proud aunt of a 5-year-old girl and she loves playing all sorts of games with her. They’re both enjoying the summer together in Europe. We all know that an aunt is like a mum, only cooler

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Creating a Daily Routine for Your Homeschool

Creating a daily routine for your homeschool can add structure and direction to your homeschool day, help you and your students be more productive, and make the school year more fun. Ready to teach your kids at home? You’ve researched until you’re blue in the face; you’ve shopped until you’re ready to drop; you’re all […]

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5 Strategies to Get Kids to Exercise

As parents, our main responsibility is to nurture our children to grow into healthy and respectful adults. Regardless of their age, children should be encouraged to exercise every day, which can help keep their weight in check, as well as reduce the risk of diseases like cancer later on in life.

Image: Pixabay

Getting your kids to be more physically active is easier said than done without the right resources and techniques behind you, so here are some effective strategies on how to encourage your children to exercise.

Be a Role Model

Children tend to follow their parents’ lead, so if you’re the type of person who lounges on the couch all day, you’re not setting the best example for your children. You can’t expect your kids to commit to exercise if you aren’t doing so yourself, so being a good role model and teaching them the importance of physical activity is key. Even if you struggle at first to get active, there are tons of health benefits that you will gain too. There are many reasons why kids need to move, so setting a good example from the start is crucial.

Make Exercise Fun

Kids need to be stimulated and entertained when exercising if you have any chance of them staying committed to it. There are lots of fun activities that your kids can try out, which will make them associate exercise with excitement. Whether you turn some music on and have a dance party or factor in plenty of walking during trips to the park or zoo, your kids are far more likely to stick with exercise if they enjoy it.

Use Competition as a Motivator

Lots of children love competition and having an end goal in place, so making contests between you and your kids to see who can do more jumping jacks or run faster will help them stay focused on exercising. Giving the winner a prize and rewarding them for their efforts will make your child more determined to carry on. There is technology that you can use like a pedometer, which tracks your child’s progress and results.

Limit Distractions

In the social media age we live in, many children know of or have their own account on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. While there are some benefits that social media can bring to your kids, if they’re the type to sit behind a screen all day, this will do them more harm than good. If you’re serious about getting your kids to do exercise, it’s important that you limit TV and computer time. Although your child may kick up a fuss initially, getting them interested in a hobby or sport will soon take their mind off things.

Involve the Whole Family

If you have an only child, they may be reluctant to exercise on their own. Inviting the whole family to partake in activities can be a great bonding experience and is one of the most successful strategies to change your child’s exercise habits.

Regular exercise has tons of health benefits for your kids, helping to improve their fitness levels, giving them an opportunity to socialize with others, as well as improve academic scores. If you have any concerns about your child’s health, encouraging physical activity can be a great way to improve their fitness.

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10 Tools to Organize Your Homeschool

Make learning easier and more peaceful when you organize your homeschool. Here are 10 tools to help your homeschool organization so you can enjoy your homeschool more. So you’re homeschooling… Whether this is something you’ve been wanting to do for some time or a choice you made due to COVID-19, welcome to the party! I’m officially […]

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Mom’s Kitchen Survival Workshop

Feeling nervous about the school year? Distance learning, homework, meals three times a day?! Are you wondering how you will EVER make it to June in one piece? I hear ya. And I’ve got a plan to help you. So, most back to school seasons have us looking forward with excitement. Our kids have new […]

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Homeschool Curriculum for High School

Ready to homeschool high school? Here’s a list of homeschool curriculum choices that I’ve used over the last decade to teach my kids at home without losing my mind. Homeschool? High school? Combine the two? What are you totally nuts? Nope. It can be done. It’s been done for decades with positive results.  Whether you’ve […]

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