Handy Hints for Cards

Be wary of internet, telephone, mail or email communications promising money will be forwarded if card or account details are provided. Financial institutions do not request such information.

Phishing emails ask you to visit a website via a link provided. Both the email and website are fakes.

Skimming is when a card is swiped through a secondary machine to steal the card details. Make sure your card never leaves your sight during a transaction.

Scam alert

In another type of scam, criminals phone cardholders claiming to be from an area such as the ‘card fraud division’. The fraudster then provides a name and badge or identity number and asks if the cardholder has made a particular transaction.

When the cardholder says they haven’t, the caller advises a card fraud investigation will now commence. The cardholder is then asked to verify their identity by reading out digits printed on the back of their card. The fraudster can use these numbers in combination with card details obtained in other ways to make illegal transactions.

You should not disclose card or account details in response to any unsolicited phone call, email or other communication.

Cards, PINs, ATMs and EFTPOS

• Immediately sign your card in ink when you receive it.
• Always keep your card in sight during transactions.
• Immediately memorise your PIN when you receive it and destroy your PIN advice slip.
• Ensure that your PIN is not recorded on your card or any other item that could be lost or stolen with your card.
• Do not disclose your PIN or phone and internet banking access code or make it available to any other person (including a family member, friend or bank staff).
• Never let anyone see you entering your PIN at either an ATM or while using EFTPOS.
• Try to be as discreet as possible while withdrawing cash.
• Once your transaction is completed, ensure you take your card, cash and receipt with you. If you don't need to keep your receipt to reconcile your next statement, place it in the secure bin at the ATM.
• If for any reason you believe an ATM has been tampered with or damaged in any way, retrieve your card and immediately advise the financial institution involved.

Cheques

• Keep your cheque book in a very safe place. Never give it to others and never keep it with other items which could be stolen such as your driver's licence.
• Never pre-sign cheques.
• Always use a pen to write cheques, never a pencil.
• Always cross cheques `not negotiable'.
• When mailing cheques, use a plain envelope instead of one with a window and ensure the cheque cannot be seen.

Statements

• When you receive your statement, always thoroughly check all transaction details against your records and immediately notify any discrepancies.
• Should your statement not arrive at the usual time in the mail, contact your institution.
• Use a lock or security device on your letterbox.
• Always keep your statements in a safe place, never leave them lying around and carefully dispose of them when they are no longer required.

Banking and shopping by phone and internet

• Check that any telephone system you use does not record your PIN or phone and internet banking access code (for example, your phone and internet banking access code may be recorded if you use phone banking in hotels, motels or internet cafes).
• Do not use public facilities like internet cafes for internet banking.
• Never let anyone see you enter your phone and internet banking access code.
• Ensure your phone and internet banking access code is not written on or near the computer or telephone you use.
• Ensure your phone and internet banking access code is not recorded on any item that identifies you or on any article that could ever be lost or stolen.
• Change your access code regularly and avoid using the same PIN, access code or password for every service you use.
• Also, never permit any other person to use your phone and internet banking access code.
• Install adequate security measures like a spam filter and firewall on your computer.
• Keep official log-in websites in a 'favourites' or 'bookmark' folder to reduce the risk of mistakes or deception.
• Always use secure sites that have a padlock icon at the bottom of the web browser.
• When shopping online, don't supply any account or card details in response to an unsolicited request. (Your financial institution will never request these details from you by email).
• Never supply your private account or card details by email or reply to emails seeking these details.
• Be aware of discrepancies, bad spelling and grammar or anything suspicious to indicate that a communication is not legitimate.

When you select your PIN and/or phone and internet banking access code, you should select a code that you can easily remember without the need to ever make a written record of it.

Do not choose a number or a word that a thief might easily try (for example your date of birth, telephone numbers or an alphabetical code that is a recognisable part of your name or address).

It is recommended that you select an access code that is completely different to any of your PINs, account numbers or membership numbers.