I spoke to a caller this week that told me his credit card information was compromised. I have personally used multiple credit cards online for years and have never had my info compromised, but I am also pretty cautious. I’m very internet savvy so I gave him a few tips and thought I may as well post them here too.
Firstly, your credit card information can leak out from ANY purchase you make. That means even at the local shopping mall. Ask retailers to tear up carbon copies of your charge slips…. often they are tossed into the trash and a good criminal knows that.
A huge portion of credit card fraud or theft takes place due to using your card for online purchases. So, secondly, make sure that any services you use, or places that you make a purchase are places that can be trusted. Try to stick with companies that you have heard of, that advertise, or that you know are reputable. Review a website carefully, if it doesn’t seem professional for any reason then take pause before you hand over all your details. Trust your instincts.
Thirdly, keep track of your receipts and review your credit card statements every month at the very least. Jot down purchases you make when you do not have a receipt.
Lastly, if you are joining an adult membership website then read things closely. Pay attention to see if charges will reoccur each month etc. Also take note of contact info to the owner of the site. You may need it in the future should there be a problem.
And now my tips for guys that use their credit cards when calling a phone sex service such as mine.
READ the website CAREFULLY do not skim. Look for billing explanations. Look for contact info. Look for a professional attitude. Ok, we all know it’s the photos or the phone number you want the most when surfing a phone sex site…. but you should READ them too. You should know how things are done, and who you are doing business with.
When you call a new phone sex service… ask what information is needed from you and what it is used for. Then asked who else sees your info and how it is stored. If the operator has difficulty explaining the answers or the billing procedure or sounds a bit ditzy about it, then please think twice. The bottom line is this and pardons my bluntness….. If someone can’t explain those answers then it is unlikely they will be able to protect your information. Phone Sex is dirty, kinky, naughty, and fun; but there is a professional business side that also needs to be handled intelligently.
Find out HOW it appears on your billing statement. Make a clear mental note or write it down so you don’t stroke your wiener and forget it later.
Make sure your information is NOT emailed to anyone, including owners, partners or etc. Having inside knowledge of the phone sex industry… I know that many small services still do those things and there are better ways to handle it. Emailing any consumer info should be a total no-no to any decently run business.
If your info is stored in a database then find out if it an online one, or on a computer. Both can be a risk. For instance, I store info for my callers in a database. I do not use Microsoft products for it, I encrypt it, I password protected it several times over, and it is not stored on a computer that is connected to the internet. I go very far to protect my caller’s information. Should my computer get hacked then so be it…. there is nothing on it worth to get.
There are many good phone sex services out there, and 90% are truly honest and cautious with your billing information. But being safe for you, as a customer should be of high importance. Don’t ever take for granted that the people you give your info to will protect it as well as YOU would. Ask questions and be informed!
