Credit Card

Consumers who compare credit card rates and billing practices can often trim expenses. Consider personal spending habits and payment preferences when choosing and using a credit card. While interest rates and card policies might change, so might a consumer's preferences. If, for example, a consumer is planning to buy a new car in a year or two, he or she might want to take advantage of a rewards card that will reduce the purchase price. If planning a family vacation, perhaps a mileage card could be beneficial.

Don't give out credit card info over phone Harris Savings Bank is warning its credit card customers not to give out information about their cards over the phone. The bank announced Friday there have been several attempts by people to obtain information from customers for fraudulent use. The person or persons call and say they are from the bank's security department and need to verify the expiration date of the credit card. If the cardholder gives them an expiration date, they then ask for the card number.

HAGERSTOWN - Washington County taxpayers can pay their property taxes by credit card this year, but they will be charged a fee to do so. A "convenience fee" of 2.5 percent will be added to bills paid by credit card, County Treasurer Todd Hershey said. The fee is imposed by the county's credit card processing service, Govolution, and does not go to the county, Hershey said. "The county makes no additional money when people pay their property taxes by credit card," Hershey said.

chambersburg@herald-mail.com CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. - A Hagerstown man was jailed on $1.1 million bond last week after he was charged by Pennsylvania State Police in connection with a credit card fraud operation in which gift cards were purchased with reprogrammed credit cards and redeemed in California. Police said Florin Adrian Manea, 28, of 136 Harvard Road, was charged with four counts of access device fraud, three counts of identity theft and one count of criminal conspiracy to commit forgery, according to the criminal complaint filed by state police.

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. -- A former Jefferson County emergency management official charged with fraudulent schemes in connection with the use a county-issued credit card last year avoided jail time Friday for falsifying expense receipts. Darrell G. Penwell, 53, of Charles Town, W.Va., entered a guilty plea in Berkeley County Circuit Court to one misdemeanor count of obtaining money by false pretenses. Penwell was placed on probation for two years and a one-year jail sentence was suspended as part of a binding plea agreement accepted by 23rd Judicial Circuit Judge Christopher C. Wilkes.

CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. - The mother of a woman charged last week with stealing and using the credit card of a patient at Chambersburg Hospital now has been charged in the crime, according to borough police. Vonnie Stopyra, 65, of 815 S. Fifth St., has been charged with forgery, access device fraud and criminal conspiracy, police said. She was arraigned before Magisterial District Judge Gary Carter on Friday and jailed on $25,000 bail, police said. Karen L. Beam, 48, of the same address, was charged on April 26, with burglary, theft, forgery, three counts of access device fraud and 11 counts of attempted access device fraud, police said.

Some small businesses are still scratching their heads over whether to allow customers to pay with credit, while other companies insist that credit sales bring more revenue. A retail merchant account might sound like a fancy business term, but it's simply an account set up by the merchant with a bank, credit card agency or processing company. This allows the business to accept and process credit card transactions. All kinds of businesses use merchant accounts, from retail stores to online sellers.

Two people used a stolen credit card to buy a laptop computer on Thursday, Maryland State Police in Hagerstown said. An employee at the David Brooks Outlet Store at Prime Outlets at Hagerstown told police that her wallet was stolen from the store between 11 a.m. and noon. She had credit cards in her wallet. A short time later, the woman's husband called to ask if she just tried to buy a computer at OfficeMax at the Centre at Hagerstown, police said. Apparently, a man and a woman immediately used one stolen credit card to buy a $2,000 laptop at Circuit City, police said.

A charge here, a charge there, and your holiday shopping has resulted in a stack of credit-card bills. So, how are you going to pay all those bills? Read on for some effective strategies for reducing your debt and taking control of your finances. Begin by listing all of your debts. Include the balance owed, the monthly payment and annual percentage rate. Check your credit-card statements carefully to make sure all the charges are correct, and calculate your total. Call your current card issuer and ask that they lower your interest rate.