How secure is your credit card?

This week, the 13th to 18th of October 2009 is the annual card security week, sponsored by Visa and FNB. It is a consumer awareness campaign that is designed to highlight card security issues, for both credit cards and debit cards. This is a recession and the living ain't easy, summer may be coming but the stress of the recession tends to encourage more fraud. This means you need to be extra careful with your card security. So what can you do?

 

• Treat your cards as you would treat cash
• Watch your card when it's being swiped
• Don't give anyone your PIN number

 

It may seem like its simple, and in a way it is, but fraudsters are getting more and more sophisticated, developing more and more complex and ingenious ways of getting your money. Card skimming is popular with easy access to card skimming devices that can clone your card. Make sure no-one knows or sees your PIN number, with a PIN, a cloned card is ready to go and take all of your hard earned money. Skimming devices are small and unobtrusive and can even be fitted onto an ATM, so check before you put your card in the slot.

FNB and Visa have made a helpful video to help you make yourself aware of the various things that you can do to prevent your money being stolen by fraudsters. The festive season is coming and the crooks are gearing up for it. While we would all prefer to be gearing up to be festive over the festive season a little bit of caution can prevent that last 500 bucks that you were saving for a party being stolen and leaving you glum when the summer sun should have you smiling.