credit card fraud

It's easier than ever for con artists to swipe your sensitive financial information -- and then use it to decide if you're a good target for a scam. But the war isn't lost: Consider these easy strategies to protect yourself.

Just because you're dead doesn't mean you can't be robbed. Identity thieves steal the personal information of about 2.4 million deceased Americans each year to apply for credit cards, cell phones and anything else requiring a credit check.

When times are hard, fraud often gets worse. Americans are under great financial pressure, and there is no shortage of criminals waiting to take advantage of it. 24/7 Wall St. examined the 10 states that had the most per-capita fraud complaints.

A data breach at a payments processing firm has potentially compromised credit and debit card information from all of the major card brands.

Traditional phishing -- where hackers attempt to acquire personal data from individuals in hopes of defrauding them -- is bad enough. But even more alarming is the rise of a new kind of attack: "spear phishing."

Even as many Americans struggle to make ends meet, scammers are plotting all sorts of sneaky ways to rob them of their money -- and in millions of cases, they succeed. When it comes to these cons, the best offense is a smart defense, so here's an intro course in how to spot the latest scams.

With all the hackers in the headlines, you might be feeling more hesitant to offer up your credit card numbers while shopping online. Virtual credit card numbers offer one possible solution. But don't expect them to be infallible.

With identity theft on the rise, more consumers are actively seeking ways to protect themselves. New companies have sprung up to address their fears, but how well do they really work?

Linda Almonte, a former employee of JPMorgan Chase who is suing the bank for wrongful termination, has upped the ante by filing a whistleblower complaint with the SEC. She's alleging grotesque and illegal practices with Chase credit card accounts.

White collar crime now affects more Americans than all other forms of crime combined, according to the a new report published by the the National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C). Conducted by the NW3C and the Bureau of Justice Assistance, the 2010 National Public Survey on White Collar Crime...