MasterCard said being a cardholder comes with a certain level of responsibility. According to MasterCard, a cardholder’s best defence against fraudsters is knowledge. Knowing what to look out for and knowing how to react in a situation makes the difference between enjoying the experience of being a card user and becoming a victim of criminals.
MasterCard offers these great tips to make sure that readers’ shopping experience is safe, secure, and simple – everything a shopping trip should be this festive season!
Tips to protect your cards:
· Know where your cards are at all times. When you’re not using them, keep them in a safe place.
· Protect your card details, such as the card number, the expiry date and the card validation code, which is the three-digit number on the back of your card that merchants use to secure ‘card not present’ transactions occurring over the Internet or over the phone.
· If someone phones or e-mails you to ask for your card details, chances are they’re trying to ‘phish’ for information, even if they claim to be from your bank. Hang up or delete the message and call your bank directly to report the incident.
· Never send your card details via e-mail, post or SMS.
· If you pay a restaurant bill with a card, ask for a portable POS machine at your table or accompany the waiter to the payment terminal.
· If you lose a card, call your issuing bank and cancel it immediately.
· Destroy old cards carefully by cutting through the magnetic strip, the chip and the CVC number on the back. Discard the pieces separately.
· Never dispose of your physical card transaction statements without shredding them first. Even better, opt to have them sent to you electronically if possible.
· Keep your PIN number secret and never give your card to anyone.
