Posted on February 19, 2010.
Protect your debit card or ATM card theft of identity With identity theft on the rise, it is necessary to be aware of how thieves operate and what you can do to protect yourself. This article will deal specifically with these issues debit cards and ATM cards.
With ATM and debit cards, it is the PIN that poses the risk of identity theft. An identity thief can illegally obtain PIN and access your bank account using three main methods.
The first of these methods is keeping your PIN with your ATM or debit card, especially if it is designated as such. If a thief steals your wallet or purse and put his hand on your debit card, it will be useless without your PIN. If he has your PIN, it can fully access your bank account without anyone even knowing it is not you.
The biggest risk to the security of your debit card is to use it in a crowded public place, including a restaurant or bar. There is always a risk of being viewed or heard while giving identity information and it is even more true when there is a crowd around an ATM. A well-known method used by identity thieves is called shoulder surfing, where the thief tries to see what PIN is entered when you make a transaction. There are other risks that are not as obvious, too. Although you may think the person you are dealing directly with is honest enough, you can not be sure that the same is true for those nearby who may be able to see and hear what happens.
Your best defense is to be habitually aware and vigilant. Always keep in mind that obtaining your PIN will be followed by the theft of your card or card number. You are at risk of being mugged for your card a little later if you let a thief see or hear your PIN.
The third method of obtaining your PIN by an identity thief through a magnetic stripe reader or keyboard entry logging applications. Some of them have a very sophisticated design. Some use a pinhole camera to get a record of your PIN. The thief affixes these devices to the ATM or similar machine in order to capture the details of your card. This is called-skimming-. In recent years, applications have increasingly skimming a risk due to advances in technology but they are not yet commonplace. The thief no longer needs your physical card to access your bank account once he captures your card information this way. Although they closely resemble a real card slide machine, a frequent user will probably tell the difference.
Another method of theft that may rarely occur at the point of sale, but drag the map that is beyond what is necessary for the sale is more difficult to hide. The best way here to protect you against identity theft is to be aware of what is happening on your card if it is out of your personal possession.
Security PIN is the best way to protect yourself against falling victim to thieves debit card identity.
Contact your bank and your PIN number changed if you believe your PIN has been stolen, but you still have possession of your card. For a card lost or stolen, cancel the card as soon as possible and get a new one issued. Be sure to get a new PIN, too. Never use your old PIN number after replacing a lost or stolen card.
Using the information above will help you avoid becoming a victim of identity theft. Be vigilant in protecting your data can save you money, time and stress.
