Card-based scams are a popular choice among fraudsters, with data from the Australian Payments Network showing that there were over $447 million lost to card-based fraud last financial year. To protect yourself and your MOVE Bank accounts, read on for important tips on how to spot and avoid these scams.
What is card-based fraud?
There are different forms of card fraud, not all of which involve physical access to your card. The most common is card-not-present fraud, representing 87.7% of all card-based scams. However, card skimming, theft, and interception are also popular methods.
Card-not-present fraud
Card-not-present (CNP) fraud involves your card details being used to make transactions online or over the phone and is becoming increasingly popular with the rise of online shopping. To avoid CNP fraud you should be careful when entering your card information online and make sure that you’re only shopping on secure and legitimate sites.
You can check this by:
- Looking for https:// at the start of a website URL instead of http://
- Search for reviews or feedback about the website before purchasing
- Be wary if the item is offered for a considerably cheaper price than elsewhere, it could be an illegitimate seller
Card skimming
Card skimming is what first comes to mind when many people think of card-based fraud and occurs when a device steals the details of your credit card from its magnetic stripe or chip. Card skimming devices are most commonly found on ATMs or EFTPOS terminals. If an ATM or EFTPOS terminal looks like it may have been tampered with, don’t swipe or insert your card.
Card theft and interception
Card theft involves a scammer stealing your card from you, whether it be in your wallet, car, or home.
Card interception, also known as ‘card never arrived’ fraud, is where scammers will steal your card before it arrives by taking it from your mailbox before you have the chance to collect it. To protect yourself from card theft and interception, always keep your card in a safe and secure place. If you are expecting a new card to arrive in the mail, ensure your letterbox is locked and be sure to check it regularly.
Did you know?
When you receive a new or renewal MOVE Bank Visa Card you will need to activate it first by securely logging in to Internet Banking or the MOVE Bank App.
How do I protect myself?
Keep an eye out for any suspicious transactions on your statement, no matter the value. This could indicate a fraudster has obtained your card details and is making purchases. Catching unusual activity early and reporting it can stop fraudsters in their tracks.
Other giveaways can include receiving an SMS containing a one time password when you aren’t making a transaction. This could indicate that someone is attempting to use your card for fraudulent purchases. Never give out a one time password to someone over the phone, even if they are claiming to be from your bank.
For an added layer of security, consider using digital wallet providers such as Paypal and ApplePay for online purchases. These services do not share your card details with the website you are purchasing from, meaning the risk of our information being stolen is significantly reduced.
What to do if I’ve been scammed?
If you think you’ve fallen victim to a scam, please contact us as soon as possible. You can also report it on scamwatch.gov.au so that others can be warned of current scams.
Card fraud statistics from www.auspaynet.com.au/resources/fraud-statistics
