Protect Yourself: Tips for Preventing Fraud There is nothing more upsetting than becoming the victim of fraud. Because of the ease of today’s mobile banking systems, debit card scams and fraud are reaching almost epidemic proportions. While taking precautions to safeguard your debit card aren’t 100% foolproof, the chances of being the victim of fraud lower considerably when one takes more steps. Here are just a few tips to help you protect yourself. Quickly scan the ATM to ensure that no parts are loose or missing. If so, report the situation to the place of business immediately. Always be aware of your surroundings. Scam artists are constantly trolling ATM locations to steal information such as PIN numbers. Don’t wait for your statement. Go online and monitor your account religiously. Doing so will go a long way toward ensuring there isn’t any foreign or suspicious activity associated with your account. If your banking institution saves copies of checks you have written for you to view online, urge the bank to remove them or to blur the routing/account numbers. Try not to use your debit card to make purchases online. It is considerably harder to relocate lost funds from an account of this type than from a credit card. Never use public computers or computers that you don’t have complete control over for online purchases. Be wary of giving your debit/credit card to a server at a restaurant. Once the server has your card, it is extremely easy for them to copy the magnetic stripe using a portable skimmer. This can allow them to replicate your card for use at a later date. Contact Us For more information on how to better safeguard yourself from debit card fraud or to inquire about our debt prevention services, contact the skilled team at the Valley Federal Credit Union in Harlingen today at (956) 425-5668 or at our main office in Brownsville at (956) 546- 3108.
