Question 1

What is credit card fraud?

Accepted Answer

Credit card fraud occurs when someone makes an unauthorized purchase on your credit card. This can happen if someone gets a hold of your physical card, or accesses card numbers through an account takeover or data breach. If you notice an unauthorized charge, it's critical to contact your credit card issuer right away to get it resolved and be issued a new credit card. You may also want to contact the merchant (where the fraudulent transactions were made) to make them aware of the situation.

Question 2

How does Discover monitor my credit card account?

Accepted Answer

Discover monitors your account through a free warning system. This tool constantly monitors your card for any fraudulent activity. We'll quickly notify you with a fraud alert if we see any unusual activity. Click the link to sign up for fraud alerts.

Question 3

What should I do to monitor my account for fraud?

Accepted Answer

You should regularly check your statement or online account portal for any suspicious or unknown purchases. If you notice a suspicious transaction, check with anyone you authorized to use your card to see if they recognize the transactions. If they don't, you can initiate a dispute or contact Customer Service.

Question 4

If I find a fraudulent charge on my account, am I held liable?

Accepted Answer

Discover has a $0 Fraud Liability Guarantee. You're never responsible for unauthorized purchases on your Discover Card.

Question 5

If I have multiple cards, how can I protect one from being stolen?

Accepted Answer

If you request another card design and have multiple cards under your account, make sure you keep track of your cards and destroy your old card once it's expired.

Question 6

As a security measure, should I log out of the Account Center after each visit?

Accepted Answer

You should always log out at the end of each Account Center session to avoid credit card fraud. If you don't log out, others using the same computer could potentially access information saved or cached in the memory of the browser. As an extra precaution, close your browser's window before leaving the computer.

Question 7

What should I use for my Account Center password?

Accepted Answer

A good password should be easy for you to remember but hard for somebody else to guess. Avoid using passwords that others might know, such as a birth date, common phrases, or a pet's name. Select passwords you'll remember but try replacing some of the letters with numbers ("secret" might be "s1cr1t," for example). And mix up your passwords—don't use the same password for every online account.

Question 8

Why am I being asked to verify transactions when I log in to the Account Center?

Accepted Answer

If we detect unusual activity on your account, we may ask you to review recent transactions and verify they're valid.

Question 9

How do I verify my transactions?

Accepted Answer

You can verify your transactions online or through the Discover mobile app. If you prefer to contact us by phone, you can call 1-800-DISCOVER (1-800-347-2683).

Question 10

The transactions you asked me to verify were valid. But when I view my Account Activity, I see other transactions that aren't valid. What do I do?

Accepted Answer

Please call 1-800-347-2683 so that we may review your transactions with you and take appropriate action.

Question 11

How do I know if a transaction was declined?

Accepted Answer

When you verify your recent activity, each transaction will say approved or declined. Once you're logged in to the Account Center, approved transactions will be displayed in the Pending Transactions section of your Account Activity.

Question 12

Can I chat with you instead of calling you?

Accepted Answer

If a Fraud Resolution Specialist is available to chat with you, an option to "Chat Now" will be provided on the transaction verification page. If chat agents aren't available, you can contact us at 1-800-DISCOVER (1-800-347-2683).

Credit Card Fraud and Account Protection

Key Takeaways

Did you know?

What Is Credit Card Fraud?

Stolen Credit Card Numbers

How to Report Credit Card Fraud

Protect Yourself from Synthetic Identity Theft