Credit card security continues to be a pressing issue in today’s society. At Community Financial, the security of your financial information is held as a top priority. Manager of Deposit Payment Services, Chris Curry says that Community Financial makes great strides to inform members during large and small card breaches. The credit union sends emails, reissues cards quickly and avoids solutions that could cause card holders any inconvenience during a breach.While many financial institutions take extra measures to make sure your accounts are secure, there are steps you can follow to further protect your account. Reviewing your monthly statements and monitoring your account online or through a mobile banking app are two very common ways of checking up on your card’s security. Here are some more tips to keep in mind and practice regularly to ensure your credit and debit cards are secure:
- Try not to let your card out of your sight. Even if you’re paying your waiter at a restaurant, watch your card go from your table to the cash register.
- After transactions, be sure to place your credit card back in your wallet right away. It’s easy to put it down and fiddle with something else before putting it away, leaving your card vulnerable to surrounding cameras or left on a table or counter.
- Keep your credit card number covered while you’re in the checkout line.
- Shred financial documents with a cross-cut shredder.
- Only purchase online through a secure, encrypted connection. If you need to follow up on an online purchase, don’t send your credit card information through e-mail.
- Consider buying a pre-paid Visa gift card during holiday shopping months. Not only will this keep your regular cards safe, it will also help you budget your holiday spending. These cards act the same as a regular credit card, but have a much lower risk of hackers tracing back to your actual account.
- Don’t use an ATM or self-scan machine if anything looks strange or foreign about its credit card reader. Call the institution and report it.
- Change your debit card pin every 6 months.
- As always, if you notice anything suspicious, you should notify your financial institution immediately.
