 TITLE: How Do Credit Card Companies Investigate Fraud? CONTENT: What Can You Do if You're a Victim of Credit Card Fraud?\n--------------------------------------------------------\nEven with all these safety measures in place, it's best to be mindful of credit card fraud. If your card is lost or stolen, contact your credit card issuer right away so it can cancel your card and send you a replacement.\nYou might need to take additional steps if your personal information is stolen or there are unauthorized charges on your account and you still have your card:\n*   **Add a fraud alert to your credit reports.** When you do this online through Experian's fraud center, Experian will pass on your request to the other two major credit bureaus. A fraud alert asks creditors to take extra steps to verify your identity before opening a new account in your name.\n*   **Lock your credit report.** You can also lock or freeze your credit to help prevent fraud. Doing this will prevent new creditors from accessing your credit report, so you'll have to remember to unlock or thaw your report when you want to apply for a new account in the future. Freezing your credit can cause headaches down the road, so it's usually best to proceed with a fraud alert instead.\n*   **Change account passwords.** If your card's information was stored in your online accounts, it may have been stolen during a data breach. Change your passwords before adding new cards to the account.\n*   **Watch your credit card and bank accounts.** Fraudsters may have access to other credit and debit cards, even if they haven't used them yet. You can monitor the accounts individually, or sync all your accounts to a central platform to easily track them. Many budgeting apps offer this feature. Experian also has a free personal finances tool you can use to connect your accounts and set up customized alerts.\n*   **Monitor your credit.** You can also monitor your credit reports for unusual activity, such as an unfamiliar hard inquiry (these are associated with new credit applications) or a new account. END