Credit Card and Debit Card – Common but overlooked mistakes

Using credit and debit cards is commonplace for most people these days and although we sometimes hear scare stories about fraud, it is easy to ignore them or forget about them. There is still a lot of credit card fraud, but being aware of some of the ways that fraudulent activity happens, can help you to understand how to avoid it.

ATM Machines

An ATM machine may seem like an innocent piece of machinery and completely safe. It is wise to be very careful when you are using them though. Recently there have been a lot of scams where small attachments are put into the card slot which can read the details from your card and then those details can be used for card fraud. It is wise to only use ATMs that are indoors or be really careful to check that the machine looks safe before you use it.

Online Purchases

Online purchases are still not trusted at all by some people. However, they can be very safe. There are some things that you can do to make sure your system is safe though. There are certain software programs that can protect you which you should consider installing. There are some sites that are safer than others – look out for an https address or a closed padlock sign to show that data is encrypted. Keep passwords safe and make them difficult to guess.

Giving Card Away

In some establishments, when you pay for an item, they take your card away to a place where they hold their card processing machine. They could be doing anything hen they take it away, such as copying it or copying down the numbers on it. Therefore always go with them, when they want to do this so that your card stays safe.

Losing Cards

Losing cards can be easy to do and it can cause problems. It is important to make sure that as soon as you notice that the card is lost that you report it, so no one else has a chance to use it. It can be annoying, having to wait for a new card and having a change of number and things like that. You may decide to wait and see if it turns up, before you cancel it and this could be a big mistake. Cancel it as soon as you can to avoid the chance of fraudulent transactions being done with it.

Revealing your PIN

When you are paying for items or at an ATM then you will usually put in your PIN. There are warning that it should be hidden, but this isn’t always done. You may feel silly putting your hand around the machine when putting in a PIN or you may think it looks like you don’t trust the people around you. However, this is the only way to stay safe. You never know who is watching and if they see your PIN they may take the opportunity to steal your card so they can use it.

About Author

SB is a finance graduate. His passion for about business and personal finance has made him write this resourceful article. Recently while searching for the best debit card / credit for his banking needs he visited www.debitcard.com.au where he had all the information along with comparison about various credit / debit cards he can get.