As the holiday season approaches, shopping activity spikes – and so do risks of encountering card skimmers. These discreet devices are designed to steal your payment card information, including your Personal Identification Number (PIN), allowing thieves to use your card details to make fraudulent transactions. Skimmers can be hard to spot, especially as thieves become more sophisticated. Here’s what to know to protect yourself from skimming scams.

How to protect yourself

• Be on the lookout for skimming devices. Skimmers are often placed hastily and may not align perfectly with the device. Check to see if the reader feels loose or misaligned with the rest of the machine. If the skimmer is using a fake keypad to capture your PIN it may feel unusually thick or won’t press down easily.
• Choose credit when using your debit card. We know it can seem a bit confusing, but when using your debit card, choose “credit” as your method of payment – that will allow you to skip using (and exposing) your PIN.
• Use your mobile wallet. With a mobile (or digital) wallet such as ApplePay®, Google Pay™, or Samsung Pay, you can securely store a digital version of your MutualOne Bank debit card on your smartphone. Once added, you can pay for purchases wherever you see the contactless payment symbol, simply by holding your device near the terminal – no PIN required.
• Monitor your accounts. At MutualOne Bank, our monitoring system spots suspicious activity associated with your debit card and will automatically send you an alert. Customers can, and should, use Online or Mobile Banking to regularly check statements and transactions for unfamiliar or suspicious transactions.

By staying alert, you can help protect yourself and others from falling victim to skimming tactics this shopping season.