My credit card was stolen and had $1,000 in charges. I did 4 things to stay safe in the future.

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• Recently, my credit card was stolen, and over $1,000 in charges were made to it.
• In addition to enabling extra security on my card, I also locked my credit with the 3 major credit bureaus.
• I removed my stored credit card numbers from online retailers.

In 2024, I decided to get my first non-travel rewards credit card. I wanted a cash-back credit card and opted for the Chase Freedom Unlimited card.

A few weeks ago, I received a text message telling me that the card had been used for over $1,000 in charges that I didn't make. At first, I thought it was a phishing scheme and completely ignored the message. After a while, my gut told me that I should look into this more. I called Chase, and the company confirmed that those charges had been fraudulently made.

I almost didn't notice my card had been stolen, and if smaller charges had been made, I might have glanced over them on my credit card statement. I did four things to ensure this doesn't happen again.

1. I turned on available alerts for this credit card

The first thing I did was log into my Chase credit card account and search for alerts that I could turn on. I have multiple credit cards and it's tough to keep a close eye on all of them, at all times.

My credit card offered five alerts that I could turn on for protection and security usage. One alert will notify me if international charges have been posted to this account; another if an online, phone, or mail charge is authorized; and one that will alert me of any changes more than a certain dollar amount.

Turning these on gives me peace of mind that alerts will be sent to me via email and text if there's any activity happening on the card that requires my attention.

2. I enabled two-factor authentication for my credit card account

I've been lazy in the past and turned off two-factor authentication for credit card accounts to log in quicker and see my balance or statements. I went to each of my accounts and turned on two-factor authentication. Every time I access these accounts, a code is sent to my email or phone number.

This will help prevent someone from accessing my credit card accounts even if they have my password, since they will need this code before entering. Plus, if I receive an access code that I didn't request, this will alert me that someone is trying to break into my credit card account, and I can promptly change my password and alert the credit card company.

3. I locked my credit so no hard inquiries can be made

Since my credit card was stolen, I worried that someone might have enough information that they could open up new credit cards in my name, without my knowledge.

After checking my credit score and credit report, I was able to confirm that hasn't happened yet. But to be extra careful, I decided to place a lock on my credit so that no hard inquiries can be made without my knowledge.

I did this by going to each of the major credit bureaus (TransUnion, Equifax, and Experian) and placing a lock on each one. No new accounts, like credit cards, loans, and utilities, can be opened. If I need to open one, I would first have to go to each bureau and remove the lock.

4. I removed my saved credit card information from online retailers

I do a lot of online shopping and have my credit card information saved to make purchasing at several retailers easy and instant. I first went through and removed this saved credit card information at stores I shop at frequently.

Instead, I requested a virtual card number for my credit cards that I could use when online shopping instead. A virtual credit card number is a temporary number that you can use to make online purchases only, and it's separate from your original credit card number.

This minimizes the risk of fraud and prevents my actual credit card details from being available on retailers' sites in case they get hacked.