ATM & DEBIT CARD SAFETY & SECURITY TIPS

Protect Your Card & PIN

• Protect your ATM & Debit cards as if it were cash.
• Don’t write your Personal Identification Number (PIN) on your card or give the number out to anyone.
• Do NOT reveal your PIN to anyone over the phone.
• Avoid using PIN numbers that are easily identified (birth date, phone number, etc.) with your personal identity.
• Report lost or stolen cards immediately.

Conduct Your Transactions Privately

• Use common courtesy at the ATM.  Give people ahead of you space to conduct their transactions.
• When you use the ATM, conduct your business quickly & efficiently, make sure no one watches you key in your PIN number.
• Use your body and free hand to shield the ATM keypad during the transaction.  This simple step prevents a camera or remote reader from recording your personal information including card numbers.

Be Watchful for “Skimmers”

• Do not swipe your card in machines that claim to clean, re-magnetize or renew your card.
• Do not use an ATM machine if it looks like it has been tampered with, re-manufactured or has any loose parts. 

These machines could be a “skimmer” which is used to copy identifying information from the magnetic strip on your card.

Take the Receipt With You
Never leave the receipt behind, even after an incomplete transaction.  Discarded ATM or Debit Card receipts can lead to identity theft and account hijacking.

Check Your Deposit Account Frequently

• Frequently check your deposit accounts to detect errors or fraudulent transactions.
• Contact us (bank) immediately to report transactions that you didn’t make.

Your liability under federal law for unauthorized use of your ATM or debit card depends on how quickly you report the loss.

Personal Safety

• If you leave your car & walk to the ATM, turn off your ignition & lock your car.
• If you use a drive-up ATM, roll up passenger windows & lock your car doors.
• Use extra caution when using an ATM at night.  If the lights at an ATM are not working, don’t use it.
• If you use an ATM at night, consider taking someone along with you.
• Once you’ve completed your ATM transaction, put your money away immediately & leave the ATM premises.  It’s best to count your money later.
• If shrubbery has grown up, or if a tree blocks the view, select another ATM & notify the bank.

It’s always a good idea to let the bank know whenever you notice anything out of the ordinary at an ATM – from overgrown bushes & poor lighting to a malfunctioning machine.

The bottom line: Always use common sense when using an ATM.  The tips listed here are a start, but the best advice is simply being aware of your surroundings whether at the bank ATM or other point of sale device.