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September 14, 2011

BillGuard – Protect Yourself From Fraud

Credit card fraud is rampant, and even minor billing errors can end up costing families thousands of dollars in fees over time. BillGuard is a tool that helps protect against these costly mistakes by scanning its users’ credit cards and debit cards daily and sending alerts when secret fees, billing errors, and intentional scams or fraud seem to have occurred.

Unlike many of the other tools that claim to monitor consumers’ credit for instances of atypical behavior, BillGuard does not charge people a dime for its services. The protection it offers credit card and debit card holders is completely free. Enter your email address, create a password, and give BillGuard your zip code to begin. Select which cards to protect by typing in the name of your bank and entering the username and password you use to access those accounts. Once BillGuard establishes a secure connection with your bank, your work as a consumer is basically done. Going forward, BillGuard will scan your cards daily and monitor your transactions for instances of fraud, scams, or erroneous subscription fees. An alert will be sent out immediately if strange behavior is discovered, giving you ample time to notify your credit card company and stop any related charges from going through.

To determine which purchases could be fraud, BillGuard uses more than 100 automated tests. The service also tracks consumer complaints across the web and flags purchases or fees that seem similar to those that have been flagged in the past. By verifying any transactions that seem sketchy, users can help BillGuard refine its algorithms and hone in on fraudsters that are targeting users in a specific area or those with a specific type of card. BillGuard users receive automated reports each month letting them know what the service has found, even when major problems have not been discovered.

Practical Uses:

  • Protect yourself from identity theft and credit card fraud
  • Put a hold on any credit card charges that seem suspicious
  • Find out if an online service is billing you for a subscription that should have been stopped
  • Receive email alerts when an unknown company starts charging your debit card

Insider Tips:

  • Verify questionable transactions to help BillGuard’s algorithms get more refined
  • BillGuard scours the web for information on fraudulent companies
  • Monthly reports show how many charges were flagged on your cards
  • User can find out how much they spend in credit card fees each month

What we liked:

  • BillGuard notifies people immediately via email when fraud is detected
  • People who don’t check their statements each month can make sure they aren’t getting ripped off
  • Monthly scan reports serve as a reminder that BillGuard is always working in the background
  • BillGuard tracks debit card transactions, in addition to credit cards

What we didn’t like:

  • Some users may be hesitant to hand over their bank login information to BillGuard

Alternatives:

Company Info:

  • Launched: November 2010
  • Privately Held
  • Headquarters: New York, New York, and Tel Aviv, Israel
  • Founded by: Yaron Samid and Raphael Ouzan
  • Web site: http://www.billguard.com

Costs:

  • Free

Comments

  1. Shoot, so that\’s that one suppoess.

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