Credit and Debit Card Fraud

There are multiple ways that credit card and debit card fraud can happen and in a short amount of time too. Your credit card information can be stolen when

• You make a purchase from a fake or spoofed website
• You receive an email that appears to be from a legitimate person or organization that asks for your credit card information
• A small device is installed onto a payment terminal that records your credit card information as you use it
• An organization or company’s computer system is hacked and credit card information is stolen
• You swipe your credit card through a device that copies and stores the information on your credit card
• Someone goes through your mailbox or garbage and steals documents that contain banking information

You can protect yourself from being a victim of credit card fraud by…

• Keeping your PIN a secret and making it difficult to guess.
• Storing your credit cards in a safe location.
• Limiting the number of credit cards that you have or carry on you.
• When you are entering your PIN in a payment terminal, cover the terminal with your hand or body so that nobody can see the PIN you are typing.
• Locking your mailbox to decrease the risk of your credit card statements being stolen.
• Signing the back of your credit cards.
• Destroying old credit cards when they are expired or no longer in use.
• Storing financial information and credit card statements in a safe place.
• Destroying financial documentation or credit card statements by shredding them or burning them.
• Refraining from providing credit card information over the phone when in public or when people can hear you.
• Requesting for further information from an organization or company that is asking for your credit card information.
• Refraining from banking or online shopping when using a public computer/device.
• Do not provide credit card information over email.
• Ensuring your device is equipped with firewall, antivirus, and anti-spyware software.
• Using secure and trusted websites when shopping or banking online.
• Not letting people distract you when you are banking at an ATM.
• Keeping the phone numbers of your banking institution(s) handy so that in case you have been a victim of fraud you can contact your banking institution promptly.

Now it’s your turn!