Top 8 Reported Ways Card Information Is Stolen: How to Protect Your Card Information

Last month we explored the eight most common ways card information is stolen, they are as follows:

 

  1. Phishing – When a scammer tries to trick you into disclosing your personal information and or payment information.

  2. Data Breaches – The loss of privately stored information held that can include personal information and or payment information.

  3. Malware/Spyware – A program or part of code that is installed on a device without your knowledge for the purpose of stealing your information and recording what you type.

  4. Skimming – Unauthorized capture of your card information which can be used to make card not present transaction (such as online purchases) or even the creation of a cloned card.

  5. Public Wi-Fi – A wireless public network typically used for accessing the Internet. You are sharing a wireless network with others you do not know and often leads to information being captured by bad actors.

  6. Card is stolen or lost

  7. Your Trash

  8. Familial Fraud

 

How To Protect Your Card Information

 

  1. To protect your card information form phishing attempts you need to know how to identify phishing emails and websites. This video by CompTIA, a leader in information security training and certification, will help you learn how to spot them: Click here to watch

  2. Tips on how to protect yourself from data breaches by Kaspersky, a leading security vendor: Click here to watch

  3. The Federal Trade Commission has a great resource on malware including how to recover your computer if you get malware. This video is an excellent overview of malware and how to prevent it. Click here to watch

  4. The following video form TechRepublic, a technology news, analysis, and advice website, is a great explanation of the new era of digital card skimming and tips to protect yourself: Click here to watch

  5. This video from Consumer Reports is a great overview of the basic steps to take if you must use public Wi-Fi: Click here to watch

  6. If your card is lost or stolen you can freeze your card with our app or please call 1-888-241-2510 and report your lost/stolen card. As always you may also contact us directly and we are more than happy to assist you.

  7. A benefit of your membership with BCSCU is we offer free secure shredding. Just bring in your docs and we will securely destroy them for you so that information does not get picked up by someone else.

  8. We understand that familial fraud is difficult and a sensitive issue. We are here to help.

 

References

Consumer Reports. (2016, November 12). Protect yourself on public WiFi [Video]. Product Reviews and Ratings - Consumer Reports. https://www.consumerreports.org/video/view/electronics/computers/5318994313001/protect-yourself-on-public-wifi/

Consumer Reports. (2021, April 14). Protect yourself on public WiFi [Video]. Product Reviews and Ratings - Consumer Reports. https://www.consumerreports.org/video/view/electronics/computers/5318994313001/protect-yourself-on-public-wifi/

Federal Trade Commission. (2020). Protect your computer from malware [Video]. Vimeo. https://vimeo.com/352068684

Kaspersky. (2017, December 12). The dangers of a data breach [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/0kK902-ZvNM

TechRepublic. (2020, January 6). 3 security tips to protect yourself from skimming attacks [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHP532dY1xk

 

Brandon Burmeister