It’s always nice to know that you can shop from your favorite brands without leaving the comfort of home. With everything becoming available at a tap of a button, you can purchase a pair of shoes while you’re on your way to work or even while in the loo. However, buying things online comes with a frightening price—pun intended. As your go-to brands, stores, and companies become smarter in selling you clothes and whatnot in the digital landscape, thieves also brush up on finding new (and high-tech) ways of stealing your hard-earned bucks.
Yes. Sometimes, we get so lax in doing transactions that we think we’re safe. But it pays to be extra careful and mindful of your surroundings when handling card transactions.
#1 Watch your cards at all times, at all transactions
It’s easy to get distracted by a phone ding or an SNS notification alert when you’re paying over the counter. But remember that even an employee from a known establishment can swipe your card, like when you’re paying for gas and the service personnel asks to take your card to the cashier.
#2 Don’t say your account number out loud
Whether it’s over the counter or over a phone call which you did not initiate, never say out loud sensitive details about your card or account.
#3 The site URL is a telling sign
When a site does not have a lock symbol before the url, close the site. The site may already be compromised and it would do you further harm if you input your credentials.
#4 Do not access personal accounts using public computers or connect to public wi-fi networks
Anyone in the same public network can access your information. It doesn’t help even if you go incognito. Just do your transactions at home or using your own mobile data.
#5 Never sign a blank credit card receipt
Draw a line through blank spaces above the total when you sign card receipts. Be sure also to check that the receipt is not carbonated underneath, where fraudsters can copy your signature.
#6 Protect your passwords
If you’re at an ATM, be sure no other gadgets or contraptions are attached to the machine. If you’re online, don’t save them just for convenience. It’s better to retype every single time than to suffer should your account may be compromised. That said, you should also regularly change your passwords — preferably into alphanumeric combinations that have no meaning to you, like your birthday or anniversaries. They are very easy to guess.
Did you enjoy this article?
