There has been a tremendous rise in the number of digital transactions in the recent past. And with digitalization comes the risk of security threats.
Yes, I know you must be thinking that you have OTP to secure your account. But let me tell you, that it does not guarantee the safety of your debit card. There are many other frauds that occur where your OTP is not required.
So be aware and stay safe. Given below are some rare tips with which you can secure your debit card and also the reasons why you need to do so.
- Memorize your CVV and scratch it off
CVV is a three digit number on the back of your debit card which acts as a security code apart from your PIN and OTP. Memorize your CVV and scratch it off from the card. Once you have scratched off the CVV, even if your card is lost, no one can make any unauthorized transactions from the card.
And if you are wondering that even if it is lost then you will have the OTP, then let me bring to your notice that the OTP is required only in India. If a transaction is made on an international website, no OTP is required, your card details are enough.
- While shopping by card enter the PIN yourself
There may be times when you go out for dining or shopping and instead of cash you choose to pay by card. Many a times, we become reluctant and instead of going ourselves to enter the PIN on the machine, we tell it to the person assisting us for the payment of the bill. Remember, not to do that ever again!
There are high chances that you might get in trouble. What trouble? A fraud might just remember your PIN and take a snapshot of your card. And what next, he is sorted. He can use your card details to buy an iPhone worth Rs. 70,000 that you yourself thought was out of your budget.
- Activate SMS alerts
If you have activated SMS alerts, great! But if you haven’t then you do it now. It is important to get real time notification of your transactions, so that as soon as any unauthorized transaction is made, you get an instant notification and can track the details of the fraud.
The young generation is mostly aware about this feature. But, many elders are not. Please ask your friends and family to activate this feature for both their current and savings accounts.
- Never leave an incomplete transaction
Many a times the ATMs are jammed by fraudsters. They insert a sharp object like a pin or apply glue to the keys on the keypad. This gives an illusion that the keypad is jammed.
Smartly they only jam enter or ok key and cancel key. So after you have entered your details you think that the keypad is jammed and you leave the transaction thinking it might be cancelled. But that is not the case.
After you leave the room thinking that the ATM machine might not be working, the fraudster comes over and completes the transaction. (PS: the transaction window is for 30 seconds)
Therefore, never leave the ATM room until the welcome screen appears and don’t forget to press the Cancel key after your transaction.
5. Keep your Bank’s Customer Care number saved on your phone
This is one of the most important things to do in order to secure your card. If due to any fortunate reason your debit card is lost or stolen, the first thing to do is to block your card. And to do so, you need to contact your bank’s customer care, which you may not have saved.
Thus, to save yourself the hassle of trying to find the bank’s customer care number and losing more time in doing so, always save the bank’s customer care number. Even if you find anything suspicious in any transaction or ATM, you will have ready help number on your device. So, lastly, save your bank’s customer care number now!
