My Debit Card Was "Compromised"

The first time it happened, I was preparing for a night on the town.

I paid a visit to the local bank machine, typed in my PIN and selected an amount of cash that I estimated would get me through a few rounds of drinks, cover and cabs. When it came time for the bills to roll out, however, I was left in the lurch. Apparently the transaction couldn't be completed.

Assuming the bank machine's line was down I made my way to another machine - only to have the same result. Two attempted Interac transactions later and I realized the problem was mine and mine alone.

An inconvenient process

Luckily, I had a boyfriend to mooch cab fare off of and a credit card to put drinks on, but the experience still left me in a foul mood. It wasn't until I contacted my bank the next day that I realized my debit card had been "compromised". Despite my endless questions (i.e. "What does that even mean?") no further explanation was given.

Although no money had been removed from my account, I still had to change my PIN. I was given a window of three hours to drop everything I was doing on a Sunday afternoon and head to my closest branch to get the job done.

While this entire process was undoubtedly a pain, Tina Romano, public relations manager at Interac, says it's a necessary process to ensure debit card fraud is kept at a minimum. With access to that type of information, fraudsters not only have the power to drain your bank account, but if their actions go unnoticed you could end up suffering from a damaged credit score.

Debit card skimming

According to Romano, most debit card users will never have to worry about fraud. Of the 4 billion Interac transactions that take place per year, 99.9% are problem free. The other 0.1% are victims of 'debit card skimming'.

Basically, this is a broad term that describes the act of stealing your PIN and card information. It can be as simple as looking over someone's shoulder as they enter their PIN into a machine and then stealing their card, or it can be much more complex. In many cases, fraudsters install skimming equipment into an ATM or retail machine that copies your card number, and features a pinhole camera that records your PIN. My guess is that I had used an ATM machine that had skimming equipment rigged to it, and so my bank took the proactive measure of freezing my card and asking me to change my PIN.

While the likelihood of having a debit card problem seems to be rather miniscule, it just happened to me again a few weeks ago, which made me wonder what I'm doing wrong. Romano suggested I make more of an effort to shield my PIN when taking cash out and to check my statement regularly. That's fine - but what I really wanted to know was how to detect skimming devices and hidden cameras.

ATM espionage

Given the sophisticated nature of these devices, Romano suggested I save my time. That also seemed to be the consensus across the Internet, although Scambusters.org offered the following in-depth tips:

1. Use the same ATM machine as often as possible. That way it's easier to identify anything unusual.
2. ATM machines inside a bank branch are usually safer than those on the street. Whenever possible, go inside.
3. Keep your eye out for fraudulent devices. While these are hard to spot, card- or cash-trapping devices usually need to be glued to the respective areas on the machine. Also keep an eye out for extra cameras around the vicinity of the machine.
4. If someone is lingering around a machine, avoid it and use another one.
5. If your card gets stuck in a machine, politely refuse the assistance of a "helpful stranger" if one comes along. These can often be fraudsters in disguise. Don’t leave the machine that has eaten your card. If possible, call the bank from a cell phone while standing at the machine, or get a friend to guard it while you head off to make the call.

Keeping these tips in mind, I'm hoping my most recent compromised debit card experience will be my last. It will have to be - I'm running out of PIN numbers!