It’s not always possible to prevent credit or charge card fraud from happening. But there are a few steps you can take to make it more difficult for a crook to capture your card or card numbers and minimize the possibility.

Sign your cards as soon as they arrive.

Carry your cards separately from your wallet, in a zippered compartment, a business card holder, or another small pouch.

Keep a record of your account numbers, their expiration dates, and the phone number and address of each company in a secure place.

Keep an eye on your card during the transaction, and get it back as quickly as possible.

Void incorrect receipts.

Destroy carbons.

Save receipts to compare with billing statements.

Open bills promptly and reconcile accounts monthly, just as you would your checking account.

Report any questionable charges promptly to the card issuer.

Notify card companies in advance of a change in address.

Don’t:

Lend your card(s) to anyone.

Leave cards or receipts lying around.

Sign a blank receipt. When you sign a receipt, draw a line through any blank spaces above the total.

Write your account number on a postcard or the outside of an envelope.

Give out your account number over the phone unless you’re making the call to a company you know is reputable.

Reporting Losses and Fraud If you lose your credit or charge cards or if you realize they’ve been lost or stolen, immediately call the issuer(s). Many companies have toll-free numbers and 24-hour service to deal with such emergencies.

But while the financial experts are urging people to pay down debt — particularly expensive credit card debt — that is easier said than done.

It may help motivate you to look at your debt in a new light, said Hersh Shefrin, a professor of behavioral finance at Santa Clara University. Although many overstretched consumers think of paying off debt as a form of self-denial, Professor Shefrin said they have got it wrong. Debt, he said, is actually a form of borrowing against future consumption. In other words, paying off a credit card with a high interest rate now means you will have more money to spend on yourself later.

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