With increase in the usage of credit cards for making both offline and online purchases, we need to take measures to keep ourselves protected from credit card frauds. The basic thing is to shop only via secure websites, shred all the unused cash advance checks or new card offers, avoid replying to the phishing emails and keep your spending habits under control. Apart from these, credit card issuing companies are now offering different services and features that should be opted for to safeguard your personal details and limit the resulting damage in case of a credit card fraud.

One of such features is credit monitoring which allows your credit card company to keep a tab on your credit score and credit report. The company will review your data from the credit bureaus regularly and send customized alerts to you. Another great feature is identity theft insurance which covers you in case of identity theft. This kind of insurance includes lost wages, certain bills and legal fees. Photo Security is a feature which places your photo on your credit card. This helps in preventing fraudsters from using your credit card at a checkout counter.

Some of the credit card companies also provide a feature of purchase monitoring, which helps you compare your present transactions with the spending behavior of your past. A single doubtful pattern or purchase initiates freeze on your line of credit until you give a confirmation that this is legit.

Next time you do your shopping, you will be able to pay using a temporary purchase number which is a virtual credit card number or a one-time-use number. These numbers are linked to your bank account but can be used only with specified constraints before an expiry date.

When you are ready to pay, log in to the account and use the number for paying for the purchase. Every transaction can have a new number or few numbers can be set up for the recurring purchases. This feature is perhaps one of the most secure credit card security features as even if the savvy thief snags your temporary number by any means, that data will be useless for him as this will only a single use number which is already used by you.

Once you complain about an unauthorized purchase from your account, your zero liability policy kicks in automatically, reimbursing you for the stolen funds. Almost all major credit card companies offer zero liability policy, but the coverage may differ from one to the other.

By opting these credit card security features, you can keep yourself secured from possible credit card frauds that are increasing in number with each passing day.