Fraud Prevention Month – Protecting your payment cards

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March 4, 2013, Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) . . . When punching your PIN, be sure to hover and cover.

Payment card fraud often occurs when a debit card reader has been tampered with and has been modified to record the information contained within the card’s magnetic strip. This allows the criminals to create a duplicate or “cloned” debit card, but in order to use it, they still need the Personal Identification Number (PIN) in order to access the funds. To achieve that, they quite often will have a hidden camera (in the ceiling, for example) close to where the card is being cloned, and when the user types in their PIN to make a purchase, the criminals have all the information they need. That is why it is critical to protect your PIN when you are making a purchase. Cover the keypad with one hand and enter your information with the other. Don’t be afraid to shield the keypad with your body by “hovering” overtop.

To learn more about debit card fraud visit http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/scams-fraudes/dc-cd-fraud-fraude-eng.htm .

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