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Have you received a 0.01 cent charge from Panther East on your credit card or debit card? You’re not alone! Lots of people have reported being charged by Panther East for transactions they’re unsure of. This article shed a light on reasons why you’ve got a Panter East 1cent charge on your bank statement, and what to do.

What is Panther East?

Panther East which is a local business that sells different kinds of tools, both offline and on their website panthereast.com. The store is physically located in Philadelphia PA Pennsylvania, Manassas, Virginia and Erie, Pennsylvania.

Reasons Why You’ve Got a Panther East $0.01 Charge on Your Credit Card:

One of the reasons why you’ve got a Panther East charge is that you’re a victim of a credit card fraud. Especially if you’re certain you never bought anything from the business called ‘Panther East’ whether online or offline. Someone must have gotten hold of your credit card details and is testing it by placing small charges on it.

The second possible reason is – your credit card details was leaked in a data breach. Cybercriminals might have illicitly obtained your credit card information, including the card number, names on it, expiration date, and sometimes the CVV code.

These data breaches can occur through various means, such as hacking into databases, intercepting transactions, or exploiting vulnerabilities in online platforms.

Once you do nothing about the $0.01 charge, the fraudster would proceed to wipe off all the money in the account by making huge cash withdrawals or buy expensive things online/offline.

What To Do About This Unauthorized Charge

Contact Your Credit Card Issuer

Immediately call your financial provider and explain that you’re a victim of fraudulent transactions. You could do this by either reporting the fraud in their app or on their website. Request that any fraudulent accounts that you didn’t authorize be closed and the charges erased so that you’re not responsible for the bill.

Request For a New Card

If fraud is confirmed, the issuer will likely cancel that card and issue you a new one with different numbers.

Update Your Passwords and Enable Two Factor Authentication

The third step you should take is updating your passwords. Make sure you check all of your other credit card accounts to see if they’ve also been compromised. It’s important to note that, even though only one card may have suspicious charges, you can’t be sure how the fraudster got the information. So make sure you change all of your passwords and PINs just to be safe.

Report the Fraud To Relevant Authorities

Report the scam to relevant authorities and organizations. This includes:

  • Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3): If you are in the United States, you can file a complaint with the IC3 at https://www.ic3.gov/.
  • Your Local Consumer Protection Agency: Contact your local consumer protection agency or the equivalent regulatory body in your country.
  • Better Business Bureau (BBB): File a complaint with the BBB if the online store is based in the United States.

How To Prevent Credit Card Theft and Stay Alert

Don’t shop on Unsecure websites.

Make sure you verify that a website is authentic before making a purchase. You can do this by looking at the URL tab. Does it have a ‘padlock sign’. If it does, it means it has SSL encryption protecting user’s personal and financial data. If it doesn’t, then you should stay away as your credit card details could be stolen or leaked

Don’t Give Out Your Credit Card Information

Beware of phishing scams that aim to ask for your personal and credit card information. Never send your credit card information via email or give it over the phone unsolicited.

Don’t use public Wi-Fi for financial transactions.

You can get hacked using public Wi-Fi. Cybercriminals use a combination of technical know-how and free tools to sneak into unsecured networks and steal sensitive information. This could include your passwords, banking information, or personal data. So stay off Public Wi-Fi when making financial transactions.

Don’t Store Card Numbers With Online Retailers

Even when you’ve taken steps to confirm you’re using a reputable online store, resist the urge to save your card information in your online shopping account.

The concern isn’t that the retailer will misuse your data, but that doing so could allow a criminal who obtains your shopping account password to make purchases without even having to know your card number.

Shred unwanted documents that show your credit card number.

Whether you shop online or in-person, protecting sensitive information such as your credit card number is essential to your financial health. If you want to dispose an unwanted document that contains your credit card details, always shred it before discarding, or burn it up in the fireplace.

Conclusion

You’ve a Panther East charge of 1 cent on your credit or debit card either because you’re a victim of a credit card theft or data breach. You should promptly contact your bank and request for a new card. If the charge remains undisputed, the scammers would charge the card more.

While you’re here, see my latest credit charge alert – Audible Charge on Credit Card Explainer

By Judith Davidson

I am Judith Davidson, a Cyber Security Professional. I am the founder, Investigator and Author of Snoopviews.com. I started working as a Cyber Fraud Researcher in 2019 when I saw lots of people falling victims to fraudulent websites pretending to sell disinfectants, masks and wipes during the Covid19 pandemic. Since then, I've saved millions of people from online scams.

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