Avoid Debit Card Fraud

If you’re like most Americans, your debit card is as much a part of your lifestyle as your cell phone – you wouldn’t leave home without it. If it’s valuable to you, it’s valuable to thieves, so make sure to protect it. Given that this card is linked directly to your account, you don’t want it to land in the wrong hands. Protect your money with these safety tips:

• Cover the keypad – Block the view of anyone (or a camera) nearby as you key in your PIN at an ATM or register.

• Know the vendor – Skip the debit card for the first couple of times you buy from a new store. For online purchases, it’s safer to use your credit card because the money doesn’t come immediately out of your account.

• Keep receipts – Compare them with your statement. Shred anything with your card number before discarding.

• Mark through blank spaces on debit slips – This includes the tip line at restaurants so the total amount cannot be changed.

• Be vigilant – Check your account regularly.

• Notify us of your travels – This helps make your travel purchases less problematic – and helps warn us if purchases occur outside the area we know you are.

• Avoid rundown ATMs – They may be fake or compromised machines to capture card information. Be wary of odd ATM requests, such as asking twice for your PIN.

• Memorize your PIN and don’t share it – We will never call or email asking you for your PIN, so be suspicious of such requests.