Stay Safe from Debit Card Scams with Helpful Tips from Police

Posted by: Desiree B. | Dec 15,2007

We’ve written about a number of debit card scams in the news lately on the Credit blog. But if you like to use the PIN pad machine for quick check-out at the store, or you have a PIN pad in your store and like the ease it provides to customers, how can you use it safely? The Victoria, B.C. police, recently hit by a number of checking account scams in their area, have some advice for safe PIN pad use for consumers:

 

If you are using a PIN pad at a store, stay safe by examining it before using to see if it looks like it has been tampered with. The police specifically mention looking for raised screws on the back of the machine, an ill-fitting machine or no serial number. In addition, I’d suggest paying special attention to the smaller PIN pad machines that you often see in small stores or boutiques. These are much easier to replace than the larger machines in grocery stores.

 

Check your bank statement often for any illegal activity. Readers, you know it’s especially important to do this during the holidays when you are shopping more and thus more at risk for becoming a victim of a debit card scam. If you see any suspicious account activity, immediately contact your bank.

 

We’ll finish up our piece on PIN pad safety tomorrow, with some tips for retailers to stay safe and avoid PIN pad debit card scams.

Sponsored Resources Ads by Google