Safety Check: Credit card security tips

What to do:

1. Consider a contactless card. Rather than giving the merchant your credit card number, the card sends a one-time code. Contactless cards show an image of 4 curved lines somewhere on the card. That tells you that you can tap the card over a sensor when you go to pay - rather than inserting the chip into a reader.

2. Zero-liability fraud protection. Credit card issuers offer zero-liability fraud protection, which means if a fraudulent transaction appears on your account, you can alert the card issuer and follow their process for reporting the crime. You won't have to pay for purchases you didn't make.

3. Set up fraud alerts to monitor your accounts. Alerts can typically be set on the card issuer's website or app. It may be a good idea to sign up for alerts via text and email. If an account is taken over, hackers may be able to intercept alerts sent by SMS text or phone call.

4. Take advantage of digital wallets. Digital wallets work by transmitting a unique, random transaction number to the merchant instead of your card number. Your account information is encrypted in your digital wallet and can only be accessed via password or, with most mobile devices, your fingerprint or facial recognition.

5. Stay safe while traveling. It can be a good idea to call your card issuer and let them know you'll be traveling away from your usual area. Before traveling, consider making a copy of all the cards you carry in your wallet - that way you'll have the emergency phone numbers handy, plus a list of your cards.

This article was prepared with the help of AI technology using information collected and verified by journalists.