High-tech heist: Area residents advised on how to protect themselves from debit card scam as holiday shopping season arrives

by Lissa Blake

One can never be too careful.
That’s the lesson area bankers and law enforcement officials hope the public will take to heart as the holiday shopping season approaches.
Waukon resident Paul Howes recently learned first-hand how easy it was for someone to secure his information and hack into his bank account. Howes and his wife, Kathy, often use their debit card in a local ATM (automatic teller machine) but never online. He said they were unpleasantly surprised earlier this month when they received their bank statement in the mail.
“I noticed four transfers made through our debit card to a company in Cartegena, Spain,” said Howes. When they added it up, they had lost around $2,000.
“According to the statement, all four of the transfers happened within the same minute,” said Howes, who immediately contacted local law enforcement and his financial institution. He said he was surprised to learn the Waukon Police Department investigates this type of crime every couple months.
“I’m not alone here,” said Howes.

BE AWARE
Waukon Police Chief Clark Bollman said while he’s not yet exactly sure how the Howes’ information was compromised, he does offer some suggestions for minimizing this type of theft. “People need to make sure they keep possession of their card at all times, that no one is watching them closely at the ATM, and that they keep their receipts,” said Bollman.
He added that consumers should look closely at the ATM to make sure it doesn’t have anything foreign attached to it, such as a little piece of tape. A card reader or “skimming device” is fairly small and can easily be inserted into an ATM. “All it takes is a couple of minutes and a screwdriver,” said Chief Bollman.
Dan Headington, vice president of Fidelity Bank and Trust in Waukon, said his institution monitors its own ATMs, but also suggested consumers “always pay attention to the ATM and its surroundings for anything that does not seem right. If anything seems suspicious, please report it as soon as possible.”
Bollman added consumers should also be aware of what’s happening with their card whenever it is not in their immediate possession. “If you give your credit card to a clerk in a store, watch what he or she does with it. Most places now have you run the card yourself. There’s a reason for that,” he said.

OTHER SAFEGUARDS
Waukon State Bank Executive Vice President Gail Prestemon said the best advice is to pay attention to who might be able to see transactions being made. “Always safeguard your card and never show your PIN (personal identification number) to anyone,” she said. “When you’re using your card, shield the numbers with your other hand as you punch in your PIN.”
Prestemon explained the clerk should never ask the customer to verbally tell him or her the PIN. “They should never have to ask you for this. If they do, don’t tell them,” she said.
Prestemon said the easiest way to keep a constant check of personal finances is to sign up for Internet banking. “It’s totally free and you can check it online. We recently had a student who checked her account and caught the fraud the same day,” said Prestemon.
When purchasing online, Prestemon said to make sure the website’s security certificate is current. “If you get a message that the site’s security certificate has expired, don’t give them your debit card information,” she said.
Another piece of advice Prestemon offered is to always read the fine print when purchasing online. “Make sure you’re not signing on for some type of reoccurring charge to your card,” she said.
Prestemon added one of the easiest ways to decrease chances of theft is to frequently change a card’s PIN. “It’s free and your bank can change it at a moment’s notice,” she said.
Finally, Prestemon reminded consumers that if someone calls, never give out information over the phone. “It’s okay if you call and pay a bill over the phone, but never share your financial information with anyone you don’t know who generates a call to you,” she said. “There’s a lot you can do to protect yourself… you just have to make sure you pay attention.”