If you've ever had your credit cards stolen you know what a headache that situation can be. Having your debit card stolen, or broken into, is even worse cause they can get into your actual money. Add to this that no one really carries cash anymore and debit card fraud jumped about 10% last year. This means we need to be extra careful where we use our debit cards.
Here are four of the riskiest places to use your debit card . . .
1. ATMs that aren't associated with an actual bank. These are easier to hack, and more likely to have card skimmers. These are little devices that look like normal card readers except they steal your information.
2. Gas pumps. You've surely heard this one before. You can take a close look at the card reader to make sure the security tape hasn't been tampered with and you can try moving it around. It should be secure in the machine. Better yet, go inside to pay.
3. Restaurants. These are one of the few places where someone else runs your card. Your waiter could use a handheld card skimmer or even take a pic of your card and use it later online.
4. The Internet. No surprise here right? Hasn't your bank sent you a replacement debit card as a precaution cause one of their clients was hacked? There are several ways your debit card info can be stolen through internet purchases; from your wi-fi being hacked to your info being stolen from the company's database. It's better to use a credit card and some experts recommend using PayPal for all online purchases.