Card security

These days much of what we spend is spent on plastic. Card security is important to stop thieves stealing your money and/or your identity. Suffolk Police has developed six simple steps to advise you how to increase your card security and reduce the risk of identity theft:

1. Only carry the cards you intend to use, any which are not used regularly put in a safe place at home.
2. Keep your card pins safe and do not store them anywhere if possible. If you have to keep a record somewhere don’t make the number obvious and do not store with your card or in your purse/wallet, handbag, diary, mobile phone or handheld organiser.
3. Always have a different pin number for each of your cards.
4. Keep a note of your bank’s lost/stolen emergency telephone number in case you need report your card missing at any time.
5. When making purchases in shops using a chip and pin device, ensure you cover the keypad so other people cannot see the pin.
6. Guard against card skimming! Skimming occurs when someone passes your card through a small device, which records all your card details. Skimming or cloning often occurs when the cardholder is not looking. Remember to always keep sight of your card, particularly in restaurants and insist you visit the counter to pay or have a member of staff to attend your table with a handheld machine.