Card fraud:
- Treat your credit card like cash by just carrying the cards you need and never leaving your cards unattended.
- Destroy expired cards by cutting them up.
- Sign new cards, with a ballpoint pen, immediately on receipt.
- Report lost or stolen cards immediately.
- Do not use your birth date or birth year as a PIN number, as criminals may have access to this information after stealing your bag or wallet.
- Do not save your PIN number on your cell phone.
- Be careful when giving your personal and credit card information to third parties.
- When giving your card to a merchant to swipe, check the details on the card to ensure that they have given back the correct card.
- When using a debit or credit card at any point of sale outlet or restaurant, never allow your card to leave your sight.
When an ATM swallows your card
When an ATM swallows your card, or if your card is lost or stolen, immediately call 0800 11 11 55 to report it. The good news is that you don’t need to be stranded without cash until your card has been replaced. Simply log on to Absa mobile or internet banking and complete a Cash Send transaction to yourself. Absa customers also have access to cardless cash deposits at our ATM’s where no card is required to perform the transaction.
If you have not already, register for Absa’s NotifyMe service, which automatically sends an SMS to customers when there is any activity on their accounts – such as ATM withdrawals, debit orders, and credit card purchases, for instance.
It can be customized according to the types of transaction for which a customer wishes to receive notification, the values of transactions, and also to indicate the times of the day that they would not want to be disturbed by an SMS.
If people follow these steps they will have very little to worry about and can enjoy their holidays with peace of mind.
This information was supplied by Tidimalo Shabalala.
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