If your credit, ATM, or debit card is lost or stolen, federal law limits your liability for charges made without your permission, but your protection depends on the type of card — and when you report the loss. Show
Report Loss Or Theft ImmediatelyIf your credit, ATM, or debit card is lost or stolen, don’t wait to report it.
Watch Your Accounts
How To Limit Your LossesUnder federal law, you have protections that help limit what you have to pay if your credit, ATM, or debit cards are lost or stolen.
If someone uses your ATM or debit card before you report it lost or stolen, what you owe depends on how quickly you report it.
How To Protect Your Account Information
Avoiding Credit Card Loss Protection ScamsScammers sometimes contact you — by phone, text, email, or by messaging you on social media — and try to trick you into thinking you need to buy “credit card loss protection insurance.” They may say you need it because computer hackers can get into your credit card and charge thousands of dollars. Or they might say they’re from your credit card company’s “security department.” They’ll claim you just need to confirm your account number to activate your card’s protection feature — but you’ll end up getting charged. No matter the story, it’s a scam and they’re just after your account number. Reputable financial companies won’t contact you like this, and there’s no need to pay for this so-called protection. Federal law already protects you from unauthorized use of your credit card. If you see a scam, fraud, or a bad business practice, tell the FTC. Go to ReportFraud.ftc.gov, the FTC’s website that makes it easy for you to report. How can I find the owner of a lost credit card?Take It to a Bank Branch
If a bank that's local to you issued the credit card, consider taking the credit card to a bank branch. A banker will be able to locate the cardholder using the account information and will contact them to let them know their card was found.
What happens if you report a lost card and found it?To reactivate a lost and found credit card, call the issuer as soon as possible and check whether it can be reactivated or not. In most instances, a credit card reported as lost is completely deactivated and a new one is issued.
Can you get in trouble for using a lost credit card?Using a stolen credit card is a serious crime that carries serious penalties. Even if the card was not stolen, per se, but rather found on the sidewalk, using the card is still illegal in all 50 states.
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