How to Report Credit Card Fraud and the Deadlines You Cannot Miss

You open your banking app and see a $412 charge from a store you have never visited. Or worse, a debt collector calls about a credit card you never opened. Your stomach drops, and the first question is simple: who do I call, and what do I say? This guide answers that, step by step, with the exact deadlines the law gives you and the one step most people skip that can decide whether you get your money back.

Most advice about credit card fraud assumes someone has your card and is spending on it. Check your statement, spot the charge, call the bank. That is the smaller half of the problem. FTC reporting for 2024 showed 406,110 reports of fraud on newly opened credit card accounts, against 52,428 reports of fraud on existing accounts. New account fraud outnumbered existing account fraud by almost eight to one.

That matters because the two need completely different responses. Watching your statement will never show you a card opened in your name and sent to a different address. By the time that surfaces, it is usually a collections letter. This guide covers both kinds, how to report each one, and how to make sure it does not happen again.

The two kinds of credit card fraud

Existing account fraud

Someone uses a card you already have. They may have stolen the physical card, copied the number at a skimmer, bought it on the dark web after a data breach, or tricked you into reading it out over the phone. You see the charges on your statement, or your bank flags them. This is the kind everyone plans for, and it has the strongest legal protection.

New account fraud

Someone opens a brand new card in your name using your personal details: name, date of birth, Social Security number and address. Nothing appears on any statement you receive, because the statements go somewhere else. You usually find out when a debt collector calls, when you are turned down for a loan, or when you finally check your credit report and see an account you do not recognize.

New account fraud is a form of identity theft. It needs a different response from a stolen card, and the most important tool against it is not your bank. It is a credit freeze, which we explain below.

How big is the problem?

The FBI figure comes from the IC3 2025 annual report. Remember that these are only reported cases. Many people fix a fraudulent charge with one call to their bank and never report it anywhere else, so the real numbers are much higher.

How criminals get your card or your details

Understanding how the information leaks helps you close the gaps. These are the most common routes.

• Data breaches. Retailers, health systems and service providers are hacked, and card numbers or personal details are sold in bulk online.
• Skimmers. Small devices hidden on gas pumps, ATMs and store card readers copy your card as you swipe.
• Phishing emails and texts. Messages that look like they come from your bank, a delivery company or a store lead to fake login pages that capture your details.
• Fake online stores. Websites with prices that are too good to be true take your card number and never ship anything. Our guide to fake online store scams shows how to spot them.
• Scam phone calls. Callers pretending to be your bank's fraud department ask you to "verify" your card number, expiration date and security code.
• Mail theft. Stolen mail can include new cards, statements and pre-approved offers.
• Lost wallets and shoulder surfing. Simple, old fashioned theft still happens.

Credit card scam calls and texts

Many people lose their card details not to hackers but to a convincing phone call. These are the scripts we see most in reader reports.

The fake fraud department

A caller says they are from your bank's fraud team and that a suspicious charge was just attempted. To "block" it, they need you to confirm your card number, the code on the back, or a one time passcode that was just texted to you. That passcode is actually the bank's security check for a purchase or account change the scammer is making right now. Your real bank will never ask you to read a passcode back to them.

The interest rate reduction call

A robocall offers to lower your credit card interest rate if you press 1. The "card services" agent asks for your card number and charges an upfront fee. Nothing ever gets lowered. We break this one down in our guide to the credit card rate scam that wants your money first.

The text alert

A text says your card has been locked and asks you to tap a link to unlock it. The link leads to a page that looks exactly like your bank and collects your login and card details.

A typical case, start to finish

Here is a pattern that shows up again and again in fraud reports. The details are typical rather than taken from one single victim.

A retired man gets a text saying his bank has blocked a $680 purchase at an electronics store. A minute later his phone rings. The caller ID shows his bank's name. A polite woman says she is from the fraud department and wants to stop the charge. She reads him the last four digits of his card, which makes her seem legitimate. Then she says the bank will send him a code to confirm his identity.

He reads the code to her. What he does not know is that the code was for adding his card to a new phone's digital wallet. Within an hour, thousands of dollars of gift cards and electronics are bought in stores across two states. When he calls his real bank the next morning, the fraud has already gone through.

Because he reported it quickly and followed up in writing, his bank reversed most of the charges. Many people are not so lucky, usually because they wait, or because the fraud was on a debit card linked straight to their checking account.

Red flags of credit card fraud

• Charges you do not recognize, even small ones. Criminals often test a card with a $1 or $2 charge before spending big.
• A new card or account you did not apply for. This includes welcome letters, cards in the mail or credit inquiries.
• Bills or statements stop arriving. Someone may have changed your address.
• Calls from debt collectors about accounts you do not know. This is often the first sign of new account fraud.
• Someone asks for a one time passcode. Real banks never ask you to read back a code.
• Your credit score drops for no reason. New accounts or hard inquiries can be the cause.
• You are turned down for credit unexpectedly. Fraudulent accounts may be dragging down your report.
• Alerts about password changes or new devices you did not make.

Your legal deadlines, in plain terms

These are legal rights, not bank policies, and they are tighter than most people expect.

Credit cards

Under the Fair Credit Billing Act, you have 60 days from the date of the statement showing the charge to dispute it in writing. Your liability for unauthorized use is capped at $50, and most card issuers waive even that under their own zero liability policies, usually if you report promptly.

Once you dispute in writing, the issuer must acknowledge your dispute within 30 days and reach a decision within 90 days. If it decides against you, it has to explain why in writing.

Debit cards

Debit cards fall under the Electronic Fund Transfer Act, and the timing is stricter because the money has already left your account.

• Report within 2 business days of learning about the loss: liability capped at $50
• Report between 2 and 60 days: liability up to $500
• Report after 60 days from the statement: you could lose the full amount

The two day window runs from when you learn of the loss, not from when the transaction happened. It is the deadline people miss most often.

Credit card vs debit card protection

This is the practical argument for paying with a credit card rather than a debit card anywhere unfamiliar, including online. The protection is simply better.

How to report credit card fraud, step by step

1. Call the number on the back of your card. Not a number from an email or text. Report every charge you do not recognize, however small. Ask them to freeze the card and send a new one.
2. Follow up with a written dispute. This is the step people skip, and it is the one that protects you. Send it by certified mail and keep a copy. Include your name, account number, the charges, the dates and why they are unauthorized.
3. Write down the claim reference number and the name of the person you spoke to. You will need both if the claim stalls.
4. Check your credit reports. They are free every week at AnnualCreditReport.com, covering Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. Look for accounts you did not open. This is the only step that catches new account fraud.
5. Place a credit freeze with all three bureaus. It is free, does not affect your score, and you can lift it whenever you need credit. A fraud alert is weaker but easier and lasts a year.
6. File at IdentityTheft.gov if an account was opened in your name. This creates an official FTC Identity Theft Report. Lenders and debt collectors should stop reporting the fraudulent account once you send them a copy.
7. File a police report if an account was opened in your name. Some banks and bureaus ask for the report number.
8. Report scams to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, and to the FBI at IC3.gov if the fraud happened online.

If you are 60 or older, the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311) can help you report and plan next steps. Our fraud help resources page lists more official contacts.

Why the written dispute matters so much

Banks resolve most card fraud over the phone, and often that is the end of it. The problem is what happens when they do not.

A phone call leaves you with nothing to point to. The written notice within 60 days is what makes the 30 day acknowledgement and the 90 day decision legally required, and it is what you rely on if the claim is refused. It also protects you if the bank later says it has no record of your call.

It takes ten minutes. Do it even when the phone call seemed to go well. Many card issuers have an online dispute form that counts as written notice, but certified mail gives you the strongest proof.

If the bank refuses your claim

A refusal is not the end.

• Ask for the decision in writing, with the reason.
• Request copies of the documents they relied on. You are entitled to them.
• File a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau at consumerfinance.gov/complaint. Banks must respond, and claims that had stalled often move again.
• Contact your state attorney general's consumer protection office.
• If a large amount is involved, consider speaking with a consumer protection attorney.

Credit card fraud and older adults

The FBI's finding that card and check fraud losses among people 60 and over more than doubled in 2025 is not a coincidence. Older adults are targeted for a few clear reasons. They are more likely to have good credit, which makes new accounts in their name easy to open. They are more likely to answer phone calls from unknown numbers. And many check their statements less often, especially if paper statements stopped arriving after a switch to online banking.

Some of the most damaging cases we see involve a caller pretending to be the bank's fraud team, who then sends a "courier" to collect the victim's cards and PIN for "safekeeping." No bank ever does this. Others involve a relative or caregiver quietly using a parent's card. Both are reasons to set up account alerts that go to the cardholder and, with their permission, to a trusted family member.

If you help an older parent with money, a few simple steps make a big difference:

• Help them place a credit freeze at Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. It takes about fifteen minutes online or by phone.
• Turn on purchase alerts by text or email, and consider adding yourself as a trusted contact with their bank.
• Agree that any call about their card ends with "I will call the number on the back of my card," followed by a call to you.
• Look over statements together once a month for small test charges.
• Keep our free printable scam safety card by the phone with the bank's real number written on it.

Staying safe when shopping online and traveling

Online shopping and travel are where card numbers most often leak. A few habits cut the risk sharply.

Check the website before you pay. Look for a real address, a working phone number and reviews from outside the site itself. Brand new domains, prices far below every other store and payment pages that ask for odd methods such as Zelle or crypto are warning signs. Search ads can also lead to copycat sites, which we cover in our guide to scam ads in Google search results.

Use virtual card numbers if your bank offers them. Many issuers let you create a one time or merchant locked number for online purchases. If that store is breached, your real card stays safe.

Avoid public Wi-Fi for payments. If you must shop while traveling, use your phone's mobile data or a trusted network.

Tell your bank you are traveling only if they ask you to. Most banks now use location data automatically, but keep their fraud line number with you separately from your cards.

Watch out at gas pumps and ATMs in tourist areas. Pay inside when possible, use tap to pay, and cover the keypad when entering a PIN.

Review charges when you get home. Some criminals wait weeks before using a copied card, hoping you have stopped watching.

How to protect yourself going forward

1. Freeze your credit at all three bureaus and leave it frozen until you need to apply for something.
2. Turn on transaction alerts in your banking app so you get a text or notification for every purchase.
3. Use a credit card, not a debit card, for online shopping, travel and unfamiliar stores.
4. Use digital wallets such as Apple Pay or Google Pay in stores. They do not share your real card number with the merchant.
5. Check gas pumps and ATMs for loose parts or anything that looks attached on top of the card slot.
6. Never read a one time passcode to anyone who contacted you.
7. Shred old statements and pre-approved offers, and collect mail promptly.
8. Check your credit reports every few months for accounts you do not recognize.

If a number keeps calling you about your card, you can check it with our free robocall checker to see whether others have reported it.

Watch out for the follow up scam

After you report fraud, scammers sometimes call pretending to be your bank, the FTC or a "fraud recovery" service, offering to help get your money back for a fee or asking you to move money to a "safe account." Your real bank will never ask you to move money to protect it. We explain this pattern in our guide to recovery scams that target past victims, and in our article on fake bank callers who send couriers to your door.

If you already lost money, our step by step guide for the first 48 hours after a scam walks through what to say to your bank.

Frequently asked questions

How we researched this article

This guide is based on FTC Consumer Sentinel data, the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center 2025 report, the Fair Credit Billing Act, the Electronic Fund Transfer Act, and guidance from the CFPB and FTC, along with fraud reports from our readers. Every statistic links to its original source where available. We do not accept payment from any company mentioned here. If you spot an error, please email [email protected] and we will review it under our fact checking policy.

This article is for general consumer education and is not legal or financial advice. Rules can differ by card issuer and state. If a large loss is involved, consider speaking with a licensed attorney.