On Wednesday morning last week, I went to the 7-11 to buy cigarettes and a Diet Coke. I never carry cash so when I swiped my debit card, I was shocked when it said “Declined.”
Immediately, I went on line and checked out my bank statement. I had several charges that I did not make. I belong to a credit union that is very particular about the charges I make, and they noticed they were all on-line; not my normal pattern. So they shut the card down.
I called the credit union and they allowed me to get a couple hundred dollars out of the account. I now have no access to the account. I go on vacation on Thursday.
The thing that concerns me the most is I don’t use the account much. I pay bills from sites in which I’m confident that are secure. I don’t use the card for on-line purchases. However. The last time I did use the card before the fraudulent transactions occurred, were for cash at an ATM and for gas.
Buyer beware.
This is where you can find more information about how card skimmers work.
After some research, apparently an ATM skimming device can be installed in ATMs and gas pumps. Additionally, cameras can be installed to see PIN entries.
Cover your hand when entering your PIN number. Check your surroundings. But sometimes, you just don’t know, so always, be on top of your finances.
Picture: Flickr
