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Credit Card Fraud and Account Protection

4 min read

Last Updated: January 9, 2026

Table of contents

Key Takeaways

Discover® constantly monitors your card for fraudulent activity.
If Discover suspects fraud, we may ask you to review and verify recent transactions.
Contact Discover customer service if you suspect unauthorized use of your card.

Credit card theft and fraud are concerning threats to your personal and financial information. That’s why at Discover, we take credit card fraud and account security seriously.

It’s important to understand what credit card fraud is, as well as how to protect yourself and your money from hackers and other criminals.

What is credit card fraud?

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.

FAQ about Discover’s credit card fraud protection

Below, find answers about the security measures we have in place to monitor and protect your credit card information from fraud.

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.

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.

Discover cardholders, you can notify Discover if you’re planning to travel, especially outside of the United States. When you let us know you’re traveling out of the country, we can ensure uninterrupted use of your Discover Card.

Learn More

Discover has a $0 Fraud Liability Guarantee. You’re never responsible for unauthorized purchases on your Discover Card.¹

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.

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.

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.

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

Did you know?

Along with account protection and excellent customer service, Discover offers credit cards with great rewards and benefits. Compare Discover against the competition to find the card that’s best for you.

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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).

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

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.

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).

The bottom line

When you find fraudulent charges on your account, it can be a scary and overwhelming situation. Act quickly and follow these tips to protect your personal information and avoid becoming a victim of identity theft. Contact your credit card company, bank, or financial institution to report the unauthorized transaction, and take the proper measures when logging into your online account.

The key is to make it as difficult as possible for fraudsters to access your financial accounts, credit card number, and other personal data.

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