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How to Prevent Debit Card Fraud

By Brian O'Connell
April 16, 2019 
experian.com

Figuring out how to prevent debit card fraud can be challenging, as cyber-thieves are seemingly everywhere. With millions of debit card transactions occurring each day, the opportunity for debit card thieves to strike is abundant.

The good news is there are steps you can take to prevent debit card fraud.

Check your bank activity regularly. If anything seems out of the ordinary, such as unfamiliar charges to your bank account, immediately call your bank or card issuer. If you didn't authorize the charge, report the fraudulent activity and immediately cancel the card. Also, shred any documents containing your debit card or account number if you don't need them.

Guard your data. A wallet or purse holding your debit card can easily fall into the hands of fraudsters or simple thieves who may immediately start charging purchases on your card. Make sure you keep your wallet or purse in a safe place, and if it is stolen, call your bank immediately to cancel your debit card.

Be careful about where you store your data. Don't store your debit card number or PIN—or other relevant personal data like a Social Security number—on a smartphone. It's too easy for debit card fraudsters to dig the data out and use it to commit debit card fraud.

Keep your debit card safe when shopping online. While shopping online may sometimes be safer than using your debit card at a physical location, there are still precautions you must take when it comes to electronic transactions:

  • Be sure that any page asking you to enter debit card information has "https" in the address bar (the "s" means secure) and includes a padlock icon near the address bar.
  • Avoid phishing scams, which generally come in the form of fraudulent emails pretending to be from banks or retailers.
  • Don't respond with any personal information unless you made the contact first. Legitimate businesses will not ask you for your debit card number without a valid reason.
  • Avoid making purchases on unsecured networks in retail locations such as cafes and the like.

Stay Vigilant to Prevent Debit Card Fraud

You can never go wrong calling your card issuer and asking why certain charges are on your bank statement. And building card safeguards to better protect yourself against debit card fraud is both simple and effective. If you don't take debit card fraud seriously, card thieves will—at your expense.

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