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This Padlet will teach you about credit and debit card fraud in Canada. You'll learn about common scams, how they impact consumers, and ways to protect yourself. Stay informed and protect your finances.

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Toronto police arrest 12 people, lay 102 charges in major credit card fraud scheme

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Fraud Prevention Month: protecting your credit and debit cards | Watch News Videos Online

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Watch Fraud Prevention Month: protecting your credit and debit cards Video Online, on GlobalNews.ca

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Vancouver senior warning others of sophisticated credit card scam | Watch News Videos Online

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Watch Vancouver senior warning others of sophisticated credit card scam Video Online, on GlobalNews.ca

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How debit card fraud happens

Debit card fraud happens when someone steals or uses without your permission your debit card or debit card information. Your information or your card is used to:

make a purchase in a store

make a purchase or transaction online

withdraw cash from an automated teller machine (ATM)

withdraw money with an in-store purchase

A person might steal your debit card information by:

swiping your debit card through a device that copies the information stored on the magnetic stripe on the back of your card

looking at your personal identification number (PIN) over your shoulder when you're using your debit card

sending you a fraudulent email asking for your banking information (also called phishing)

using a device that jams your card in an ATM. A helpful stranger then suggests that you try to put in your PIN a few times. When the card remains jammed, this person later removes your card and has your PIN

Protect yourself from debit card fraud

Debit cards issued by financial institutions have a computer chip that makes transactions more secure. The computer chip works with your PIN to make sure you give permission for each transaction. This helps protect you against fraud if someone steals your card.

There are also certain actions you may take to protect yourself from debit card fraud. Follow these tips to protect your debit card and your personal information.

Keep your PIN secret

Choose a PIN that is hard to guess. For example, avoid using your birthday, Social Insurance Number, address or telephone number as your PIN.

Be sure to keep your PIN secret:

never share your PIN with another person. Do not even share it with a family member or partner

memorize your PIN rather than writing it down. If you write it down, keep it in a safe place, away from your card or wallet

change your PIN often

Contact your financial institution and change your PIN immediately if you suspect someone knows it.

If you share your PIN with someone, you may be responsible for transactions you haven't made or approved.

Reduce your daily limit

A daily limit is the amount of money you may spend or withdraw from your account each day. It applies to both ATMs and in-store transactions.

Contact your financial institution if you think your limit is too high.

Protect your debit card and your debit card information

To better protect yourself from debit card fraud, you may also:

keep your debit card in a safe place

never lend your debit card

insert your card rather than swiping it during a purchase

hide the terminal or ATM keypad when you enter your PIN

keep your debit card in sight at all times when making a purchase

take your debit card and transaction receipt with you once you've finished a transaction

retrieve your card quickly after a transaction. Complete your transactions before answering anyone trying to get your attention

check your account statements often to make sure all transactions are correct

keep paper and electronic copies of your account statements and put them in a safe place

contact your financial institution right away if your card is lost, stolen or stuck in an ATM

If you're a victim of debit card fraud

If you're a victim of debit card fraud, take the following steps:

1. write down what happened and how you first noticed the fraud

2. contact your financial institution right away to tell them about the fraud

3. take note of whom you talked to and when you spoke to them

4. keep all documents that you think might be helpful when the police investigate the fraud

5. contact your local police service to file a complaint

6. if you believe a company (for example, your telephone company) has been hacked, contact it

Report the fraud to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre

The Canadian Anti-fraud Centre includes partners from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the Ontario Provincial Police and the Competition Bureau of Canada. It is the central repository for information about fraud.

Contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.

Related links

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debit card; fraud; personal finances; banking;

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Debit card fraud is when someone steals both your PIN and debit card or debit card information and uses it without your permission. Learn more:

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How to protect yourself from debit card fraud

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Using debit cards has become a way of life for many Canadians. In fact, Canadians are among the biggest per capita users of debit cards in the world. Whether you’re withdrawing cash from an ABM, using your card to pay for this week’s groceries, or punching in your Personal Identification Number (PIN) for a night at the movies, your debit card is a simple way to access your money. Using your debit card is a convenient way to get money from 65,000 banking and cash machines and for making purchases at more than 500,000 retailers across Canada. It is also very safe, with more than 99 per cent of debit transactions occurring without incident each year in Canada. And while your bank is working to protect you from fraud, there are simple steps that you can take to protect yourself. What is debit card fraud? Debit card fraud can happen when a thief “skims” or swipes the information off the magnetic stripe on the back of your card to create a duplicate copy of your card. They also have to ca

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Majority of Canadians alter payment habits due to fraud concerns — 13 per cent affected by payment fraud in the past six months | Payments

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More than one in five Canadians (22 per cent) risk missing bill payments due to concern of scams, reveals new Payments Canada study.

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I was surprised by how common credit/debit card fraud is, especially how fast it happens. Real-time payment scams make it even scarier. This topic is relevant to me because I’ve had my card details stolen before, and dealing with it was a hassle. Now, I’m way more careful when shopping online. If I had to give one piece of advice, it would be to protect personal information, especially online. A small step, like checking for secure websites, can save a lot of stress.