Card skimming can happen in any situation. The best way to prevent credit card skimming is to be aware of the risks that are out there and keep your eyes open. But that sentiment is pretty vague, so where are a few additional tips that you can help you prevent it.
Use an RFID Wallet
When it comes to trying to prevent credit card skimming, one of the best things you can do is to keep your credit cards protected. When you’re out and about, a great way to accomplish this is to use an RFID wallet. RFID technology helps ensure your cards aren’t skimmed, even if there is a card skimmer around.
Take a Look at the Card Reader and Pin Pad
But you can’t keep your credit cards in your wallet the entire time, even if it might be better for your finances. It’s really when your card is out of your RFID wallet where problems happen. So you need to keep your eye on your surroundings.
Before you use a card reader take a look at it and the pin pad to make sure that there isn’t anything suspicious about it. When it comes to trying to prevent credit card skimming, it’s all about keeping your eyes open.
Banks and other financial institutions are well aware that incidences of credit card skimming are on the rise, so they often post pictures of what the card reader and pin pad are supposed to look like. You can also take a look at credit card skimmers before you go out so you know what you’re on the lookout for.
At the Gas Pump…
You also want to keep your eyes open while at the gas pump, this is an important place when you want to prevent credit card skimmers. For the highest chance of reducing your risk, there are a few things you can do:
Make Sure Everything Matches
Before you use your credit card on the gas pump card reader, make sure that the reader at the pump you’re at matches the rest of them. If something looks off, use another pump instead of taking the risk.
Avoid Using Your Pin
When it comes to using your card at the pump, one way to try and prevent credit card skimming is to avoid using your pin. Gas station pin pads are pretty open, so it’s best to use your credit card and avoid entering your pin. Skimmers will sometimes use cameras to track pins so they can use it later on. Not using your pin altogether helps avoid this.
Check-In With Bank Accounts Regularly
There are a lot of ways to prevent credit card skimming, but sometimes things still happen. One of the best ways to ensure that you catch credit card fraud before it gets too bad is to regularly check in with your bank accounts.
Keeping an eye on what money is spent is the easiest way to ensure that you can catch an issue if and when it happens. That way it’s easier to spot. If you don’t regularly check-in it’ll be harder to spot or prevent credit card skimming if it happens.
How do you prevent credit card skimming? Share your tips and tricks in the comments below.
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Tae started out as a journalist before following the money into the corporate world. But it turns out that the grass isn’t always greener and now you can find her spending most of her time writing about all the things she loves. Namely, money, travel and business with a hefty dose of self-deprecating humor. She is a podcast fanatic, blogging aficionado and loves to find new ways to turn passions into cold hard cash!