he next time you use your credit card to make a purchase in a shop, watch what happens with your card. They may add a few seconds to the length of your transaction, but a few simple steps can help protect all consumers from the fraudulent use of their cards. In order to prevent credit fraud, the cashier should:
				Check the embossed account number, comparing it to the printed number beneath it (the first four numbers should match) and looking for signs of a re-embossed number (which will likely be uneven and/or crooked).
				Glance at the sides of the card-legitimate cards are made of white plastic, so if the sides of the card are any other color, the cashier can be sure it is a counterfeit.
				Look over the card for the correct logos, hologram, and signature panel-credit card issuers carefully standardize all of these.
				Verify the signature on the sales draft against the signature on the card.
		You might also pay attention to, or even ask about, how the business handles credit-related paperwork and information. Does it:
				Store all receipts and ledger tapes in a secure place?
				Destroy past receipts and ledger tapes when the data is no longer needed?
				Avoid retaining magnetic stripe data once a transaction has been authorized? Handle lost or left-behind cards promptly and carefully?
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