Debit cards and credit cards have different protections and uses. For better prevention of identity theft, there are certain times and places that debit cards should not be used.
Restaurants are one of the few places where you have to let cards leave your sight when you use them. The conventional advice of not letting let the card out of your sight is just not practical in a restaurant scene. An identity thief gets a large window of opportunity to swipe your card through a special card scanner to steal your information, and having money taken directly from your bank account is a lot more dangerous than having your credit card charged.
In a situation where you have automated payments every month, your bank account is under direct danger if the institution has fraud going on or if won't stop billing an account even if you’ve canceled with them. Another reason not to use the debit card for recurring charges: your own memory and math skills. Forget to deduct that automatic bill payment from your checkbook one month, and you could either face fees or embarrassment (depending on whether you've opted to allow over drafting or not). So if you don't keep a cash buffer in your account, to protect yourself from over-limit fees, you may want to think about using a credit card.
Criminals are getting better with skimmers and planting them in places you'd never suspect, like ATM machines on bank property. So take a good look at the machine or card reader the next time you use an ATM or self-check lane. Make sure it doesn't look like it's been tampered with.
If you have problems with a purchase or the card number gets hijacked, a debit card is more vulnerable because it is linked to a bank account. Though there are many websites that are very secure like eBay and PayPal, other smaller websites and third-party sites are more prone to hackers and identity theft.
The most important thing to remember in any identity theft scenario is that the sooner you identify that there’s an error or a problem, the higher your chances of recovering whatever was used and stolen. Always check your accounts for inconsistencies or unfamiliar transactions, and, if possible, sign-up for an account alert to your cell phone or email so that you’re always in-the-know about your account status.
Whether you have unsecured credit cards, medical bills, personal loans or collection accounts, there’s help for you. The National Debt Relief Group offers a free consultation. You can fill out our Short Application and one of our debt specialists will contact you within minutes, or you can call now – (888) 703-4948.
www.nationalrelief.com