Recently, card holders have found a new way to protect themselves from credit card fraud; they do so by simply not signing the back of their cards, or they will write “See ID.” This way criminals trying to use a stolen credit card won’t be able to falsify the signature because they won’t have an example on the back of the card to copy from; which will prove that the purchase was not a legit purchase.

Even though recommended by credit card companies, not signing your card could really helps toward your security.  Clerks are not allowed to accept cards that are not signed; however, when was the last time a clerk checked for a signature?

A bad aspect about not signing your credit card though is that the criminal could sign it for you. That’s why credit card holders have also adopted another option; which is just to write “See ID.” That way you don’t sign your card, but you provide a way to validate your identity.

If you sign the back of your card you will be running all kinds of risk for your identity, including the possibility that the criminal might use your signature to actually get more credit. However, most of the times clerks don’t even attempt to check for the signature of the back; so either way you would be unprotected. Even worse, when paying online, since you don’t have to sign, there isn’t much you can do neither.