Cloned credit card? See what to do to protect yourself and contest undue purchases

In this financial scam, card data is duplicated and used in another tool for purchases on behalf of the victim.

Have you just seen your card statement and noticed that there are several purchases that you don't recognize? This is a great indication that you have fallen for the cloned credit card scam. And, of course, this type of scam generates immediate actions, after all, your money is at stake, and if you just sit idly by, you will continue to suffer losses.

And make no mistake, cloning a credit card can happen both virtually and physically, after all, scammers are extremely creative in their actions.

In any case, cloning a card happens when thieves transfer data from the credit tool to another without the holder's consent. In this way, they manage to make several undue purchases in the victim's name.

Cloning a credit card can be done from fake websites, adulterated machines and even a manual hack. By the way, this financial scam can even be carried out on a credit card without a chip using adulterated readers.

In today's post, we'll understand how to find out if your card has been cloned and we'll guide you on how to act after this unfortunate discovery. Follow the reading!

How to find out if your card has been cloned?

It is very common to recognize an undue purchase on the card long after the tool has been cloned. Generally, there are those who suspect transactions only when the month's invoice closes with a high spending amount. However, there are those who are able to identify the fraudulent transaction immediately, especially if they follow all the notifications on the digital account.

For these and other reasons, the best way to find out if your credit card has been cloned is checking your bank statement frequently and tracking your invoice expenses in real time. After all, there are several ways to clone a card, including using adulterated machines in which the amount paid is different from that charged.

Also, by tracking transaction notifications through your bank's app, it's much faster and more effective to contest the undue purchase and block the payment method before the scammer makes more transactions.

What to do when having your credit card cloned? Find out now!

Experiencing the inconvenience of a cloned credit card? Check out our practical tips on how to act to keep your data safe and get your money back.

1.   Block the credit card

Regardless of the moment of your perception of fraud, the important thing is to block the credit card as soon as possible. This will prevent the scammer from continuing to use the tool to make purchases on his behalf. By the way, you can block the tool, generally, by the app itself.

Now, if your card is not linked to a digital or internet banking account, then the best way to block it is by calling your bank's call center.

2.   Make an incident report

In some cases it is common for banking institutions to ask for photos of the police report as a supporting documentation of the blow suffered. Therefore, after blocking your card and protecting your financial data, the best course of action is to file a police report.

And you know what is better? You don't need to go to the police station to open the BO, since the entire process is available online. To do so, you need to enter your state's civil police website, fill out your registration and download the proof.

3.   Make a note of improper purchases

When contacting the bank for the purpose of requesting a reversal, it is common for the attendant to ask you for information about unrecognized purchases, such as: time and values. Therefore, before contacting us, open your credit card statement and write down each of the transactions that you do not recognize.

4.   Ask for the reversal

Although the credit card block is available 100% online through your bank or financial platform, to reverse purchases, in general, it is necessary to contact the banking institution through an official service channel.

In cases of digital banks, such as Nubank, PicPay and Inter, the contact of contestação It can be done through the app via chat available 24 hours a day. If you don't have internet banking or a digital account, calling the bank or going to the nearest branch is a way out.

In cases where the identification of undue purchases is made promptly, it is common for the reversal to be approved even faster. Also remembering that it is the responsibility of the administrator to reverse your credit and remove charges from the invoice.

Now that you know what to do after having your credit card cloned, how about sharing this post with your friends to guide them in case of an inconvenience like this? Also, understand now how to protect yourself from the fake boleto scam.