 TITLE: How to Set Up Credit Card Alerts for Fraud and Purchases CONTENT: How Can Credit Card Alerts Help You?\n------------------------------------\nCredit card alerts can warn you of fraud and allow you to take swift action. For example, if you notice a purchase you didn't make, you can quickly notify your card issuer and file a police report if necessary. Your card issuer will cancel your card and issue a new one.\nYou should check your credit report regularly to make sure all the information there is correct; this is especially critical after discovering credit card fraud. The criminal could have opened new credit cards or other credit accounts using your identity. Fraudulent credit card activity that appears in your credit report can negatively affect your credit score unless you have it removed, which you can do by contacting your card issuer or filing a dispute with the credit bureau on whose report it appears.\nTo protect against future fraud, consider placing a fraud alert, also called a security alert, on your credit report. This requires credit grantors to confirm your identity before issuing new credit in your name.\nFighting fraud isn't the only thing credit card alerts can do. Receiving alerts about your balance or purchases can help you stay on top of your spending, stick to a budget or monitor an authorized user's spending.\nYour payment history with credit cards and other credit accounts is the single biggest factor in your FICO® Score☉ , the most commonly used credit scoring model. Alerts about payment due dates remind you to pay your bill on time, which can boost your credit score. END