Credit card owners beware:SIUC and Carbondale police departments have reported several cases of credit card fraud in the past year, many of which police officials say could have been prevented by card owners taking simple precautions.

There were 22 reported cases of credit card fraud on campus in 1995, Theresa Mills, SIUC Police office supervisor, said.

SIUC Police Sgt. Larry Eaton said the number could be higher because credit card fraud cases can be filed under various categories such as theft, fraud and forgery.

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The large number of cases is keeping police officers busy, officers said.

Right now, approximately 65 percent of my caseload is forgeries or credit card fraud, SIUC Police Det. Greg Sanders said. The majority of credit card fraud cases involve someone stealing a card and using it to purchase merchandise.

Unfortunately, the credit card thief is not always a stranger to the victim, Sanders said.

Dan Wright, a senior in construction management from Chicago Heights, said he learned firsthand about credit card fraud two years ago.

Someone I knew stole my calling card out of my wallet and made phone calls that cost $350, Wright said.

Because he had his calling card number memorized, Wright said he did not notice the card was missing.

Don’t put your calling card in your wallet, he advised. Don’t trust anyone.

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Sanders said sometimes students receive bills for credit cards they had applied for but never received in the mail.

Derek Starkey, a former SIUC art student from St. Anne, said he received phone calls from credit card companies inquiring about his account when he was a student here last semester.

I didn’t even have a credit card, Starkey said.

Starkey said he discovered that someone had obtained his social security number and student identification card and was able to get several credit cards, a cellular phone and a bank account under his name.

I don’t like credit cards in the first place, he said. And then I found out I had several in my name and that I owed about $5,000.

Starkey said he is a responsible person and he thought he took necessary precautions to prevent such an occurrence.

But I found out that people will take advantage of you any chance they get, he said.

Wright and Starkey said they did not have to pay for the bills. Credit card companies usually absorb the costs when a card is stolen, but certain guidelines should be followed when a card is stolen, Don Priddy, Carbondale Police community resource officer, said.

Stolen credit cards should be immediately reported to both the police and credit card company, Priddy said.

Priddy said it is important to report the theft as soon as it is discovered because in most cases the stolen credit card is used immediately.

There are many steps people should take to prevent credit card theft, such as leaving credit cards in a safe place at home when going someplace where a card will not be needed, Sanders said.

Why take a credit card to the Rec Center and chance it getting stolen? Sanders said.

Many credit card thefts occur when cards are left in unlocked cars, dorm rooms and lockers, Carbondale Police Det. Jim Temple said. A missing credit card is noticed faster when cardholders keep a record of the number and kinds of cards they own, he said.

In addition to protecting the actual credit card, it is important to protect credit card numbers and personal identification (PIN) numbers, which allow cash withdrawals from ATMs, Temple said.

Many people, especially the elderly, are tricked into giving credit card numbers to telemarketers over the phone, Priddy said.

Priddy said people should never give a credit card number to someone over the phone except when ordering something by mail from a reputable company.

Keep your PIN number separate from your credit card, Temple said. Don’t write down PIN numbers and leave them in your wallet.

When purchasing merchandise with a credit card, take carbon and print copies to prevent a possible dishonest salesperson from obtaining the card number, Temple said.

Credit card fraud cases have occurred when a salesperson obtains a credit card number from a customer, Temple said. Recording each salesperson’s name and time of purchase when shopping enables police to identify possible credit card fraud suspects, he said.

Although the number of credit card fraud cases is increasing, it is easier to nab suspects in these types of cases, Sanders said.

The positive side is that a paper trail is involved, he said. We have a pretty good success rate.