Now, with the increase in hacking and other fraudulent tricks, there is no place which is safe for making transactions. This, however, does not mean that you stop using your debit cards at all. You just need to supervise while you are withdrawing cash from an ATM or when your card is being swiped in a grocery store, gas pumps, or bars and restaurants. You should have a constantlycheck onevanilla balance .We have made a list of some places where it is risky to use your cards.
Outdoor ATMs
There are some outdoor ATMs which provides an opportunity for the thieves to skim your debit card’s data. Skimming is the methods by which you can capture the information on the card of a customer by running it through a machine which can read the magnetic stripe of the card. These machines are generally placed over the real card slots at the ATMs and other card terminals. It is safer to use the ATMs which are inside a retail outlet or a high traffic place. There are ways in which you can spot ATM skimmers. They look beat-up or askew.
Gas stations
Gas stations are also a danger zone for using debit cards. Most people tend to make transactions using theircards which makes it easy for the fraudsters to skim your card as there are very less surveillance and supervision at the payment terminals of the pumps. Thieves capture the footage of the users entering the Personal Identification Numbers (PIN) of the debit cards.
The thieves do so use small cameras. Even if the thieves do not manage to get hold of your Pin, they can certainly duplicate the magnetic stripe of your card. Because of these reasons, it is better to make cash transactions at the pump rather than debit transactions.
Online Purchases
The primary reasons for most users to use debit cards is to shop online using your card. But this is one of the dangerousplaces to use your card. There are a lotof fake websites and pages on the internet, whichis looking to make use of your debit card. If there is any malware on your computer, the data on your debit card could get compromised. There could be cases of hacking and the bigger problem is that you won’t have any information on who is using your information and data. Thus, it is safe to avoid using your debit cards for online purchases. However, if you wish to use your card, make sure that the website where you’re doing your transaction is completely trustworthy and safe.
Bars and restaurants
There is no problem in using your debit card in bars and restaurants unless your card is out of your hand, for even a few minutes. There might be situations where the waiter comes with a bill and you give them your debit card for making the payment. This could be a risky thing to do. Everytimeyourcard is not with you, you are vulnerable and so is your debit card data. The person could copy your information as well. Instead, be present while your debit card is being swiped. Do not leave your card alone at any time.
Conclusion
Always be careful while using your cards.