Life is busy, so sometimes people let their guards down when it comes to using credit cards safely. So here are 10 things you should do to help make sure no one steals your credit and debit card information:
- Use cash more often for such things as buying fast food and gasoline. Some thieves attach little card readers to gas-pump card terminals.
- Cover your hand when entering your PIN in the public credit card terminal.
- Cover your card when you remove it from your wallet. Thieves have been known to take pictures of your card.
- Use a credit card, not your debit card, for online purchases. Both are equally protected financially for theft, but the theft of a debit card number can cause more hassle, such as bounced checks and late payments.
- Be careful; try to use your card only in good establishments. The only two times credit card information theft has happened in our family were to our children’s debit accounts when they used them on a college campus at a local establishment.
- Shred all mail and documents before you throw them away if they have any personal information about you on them. Buy a good $100 price range shredder that can cross-shred cards, computer disks, and several pages of paper at a time.
- Balance your checking account every month, and pay off all credit card balances.
- Password protect your computer and smart phone in case they are stolen.
- Make online purchases at home, on your private password protected internet connection; do not use a public WIFI in places like the coffee shop or library.
- Don’t share your personal information with anyone that shouldn’t have it; beware of phone calls and emails that try to obtain your birth date, social security number, and credit card information.