Frauds with bank cards

 We can not imagine our modern life without using of bank cards, we pay with them for   purchases and services, obtain loans, fill up balance of the phone, cashes money from our bank account and perform many other operations that occur much more easily thanks to credit cards. Area of application of bank cards is constantly developing, but together with it  evolving the ways of fraud associated with their using.
One of the most common types of fraud is skimming. The very notion of skimming comes from the English verb «to skim» - which means «withdraw." This type of criminal activity carried out by different readers, which are called skimmers. These devices are superimposed on the receiving apertures of the ATM and that is how occurs theft of information from a credit card, specifically the cardholder's name, its number and expiration date, CVV-and CVC-code.
Typically, the skimmers are very well hidden, but you still can detect their presence.  No matter, how well fraudsters may try to hide the reader, you can find it by  protruding part before card reader .
 Another method used by criminals to obtain your confidential information is to use the keyboard overlays on ATM, which fixing PIN-code. Typically, fraudsters use the pad in conjunction with skimmers. It is also possible to detect it, this can be done by increased thickness of the keyboard, but you should be extremely careful, since the thickness of this pad is only a few millimeters.
Another way of reading the input PIN-code is the using of micro video camera, which is mounted in the previously described skimmers or the keyboard.
Thus, the fraudsters are using an arsenal of devices in order to accumulate all the information on a particular credit card. When all the necessary information is gathered in the hands of criminals, they make a duplicate of your card and then withdraw funds from your bank account.
Another type of fraud is the so-called "Lebanese loop". In this case, is carried out direct theft of a credit card from the owner. This occurs through a simple device, namely a piece of rubber that is inserted into the card reader, and then when you try to remove the card from the ATM, it blocks it inside. When the card is retained in the ATM, the card holder calls for help in the office of the bank, during which the crooks steal the card.
At present, banks developed a system for monitoring transactions and customer requests, which enabling fast respond to requests of cardholders and detect installation of reading equipment.  When identifying fraudulent  activity, bank card  should be immediately locked to prevent theft of funds from the account. After blocking the card holder may request the bank to reissue card. For operative prevention of stealing of the credit cards, both banks and the cardholders themselves should actively cooperate with each other and with law enforcement. 

In order to protect themselves from fraud and to keep your money in the security, its necessary to observe some rules when making transactions with the card.

1.   Choose ATMs that are inside bank branches. It will be more difficult for fraudsters to install a reading equipment in these ATMs, rather than in ATMs, installed in unpopulated areas.
 2. Before you make a transaction with your bank card, inspect an ATM, pay attention to the keyboard and card reader. If you have any suspicions about the safety of the use of the ATM, contact the office of the bank by the phone, which is usually can be found on an ATM, report about revealed facts, and in any case, do not use the compromised ATM machine for any transactions.
3. Always cover your keyboard by hand, and, at best, with both hands when entering PIN-code. This must be done in order to complicate the code reading when shooting on a video camera.
4. Always  print out a check after the transaction with your credit card  . Also, it would be better to keep all checks and receipts for your card before the end of the month, and when you get a regular bank statement, then you can destroy the checks.
5. Always use the service "Mobile Banking", make sure that it was always active and  freely reports you via SMS-messages about the transactions on your credit card. If you get an operation that you did not commit, you should immediately contact the office of the bank and resolve the issue of blocking the card.
 6. Nobody and never has the right to ask your credit cards PIN-code, even bank employees serving you, so you should never respond to such demands and to disclose this information, including via e-mail or SMS correspondence. It is also dangerous to store the recorded number of PIN-code near the card or record it on the card.
 7. If you do not know how to carry out a transaction with your card, and you need assistance, please contact only to bank employees, serving you. Ask and accept help from strangers is very dangerous. This rule also speaks in favor of the ATMs installed in bank branches, as in the individual street ATMs you can not use the services of a bank consultant.
8. Pay close attention to the the preservation of your card. Check the location where you store it, watch out for it when you give it to the store  employees  during non-cash payment. If the bank card is missing, immediately call the bank and report the loss, after which the card will be blocked, and your money will remain safe. Also it will not be amiss to always have on hand a contact phone number of the customer service, of bank which is serving your.
9. If the ATM after the transaction does not return your card, you should also contact the office of the bank, and then carefully follow the instructions of the consultant.  Similarly, should be done if an ATM incorrectly performs the operations you need.
 10. When you first activate "Mobile Banking", remember, and the best record or photograph, phone number, from which you get notices from your bank, as well as the form of these notifications. Thus, in the case of fraud attempts to obtain the data of your credit card via SMS, you will be able to distinguish the criminals addressing from the real notifications of the bank. Do not react to these messages, do not send SMS and do not give any information on your account, and if you  have any questions, please contact with them to the bank's customer service on the main contact number
 11. If you make any online transactions, for example, payment for purchases in internet shops, it would be safer to have a separate debit card for such situations. And in case if you need to pay for any goods, transfer the necessary amount from the main card to the additional, and then spend the necessary operation. This will substantially secure the use of Internet banking.
Thus, in time of the widespread dissemination of fraudulent associated with the use of bank cards, you have the ability to protect your funds against the claims of the criminals, its important to carefully and seriously relate to the using of the credit card and know how to act  in a particular situation.