According to Bank Windhoek card fraud is one of the most common types of fraud committed during the festive season. With the peak holiday season less than a month away, the bank warn clients and the general public to take extra care to avoid becoming victims of card fraud.
Card fraud is when a fraudster obtains your PIN number or the information on your ATM card to get access to the funds in your account. Bank Windhoek therefore asks the public to always treat a card as cash. Keep it safe and secure. Remember to stand close to the ATM and use your free hand to cover the hand on the keypad when you type your PIN. Do not allow strangers close to you or accept help from strangers.
If there seems to be a problem with the ATM, press the Cancel button and remove your card yourself and make sure that the card you take from the ATM is yours. Do not give your PIN to anyone, not even a bank official and check all your cards regularly to ensure that you have them. Keep your card in sight at all times, even when paying at a point-of-sale device in shops and restaurants and make sure the retailer gives your card back to you, along with your copy of the receipt.
Check your statement regularly and report suspicious transactions on your statement to your bank. Clients should also take caution when making purchases online through online payment systems, such as Paypal, as their card information can also be fraudulently obtained if their computer, laptop, cell phone or tablet anti-virus, spyware and firewall protection is not active and up to date.
“It is important for everyone to take note of these tips and be vigilant at all times when conducting a transaction at an ATM, online shopping or at a point-of-sale device, as fraudsters continuously come up with new ways to defraud clients,” said Ina Muir, forensic auditor at Bank Windhoek.
By Staff Reporter