How Can Someone Use My Debit Card Without Having It? The Basics of Debit Card Fraud
Given the rising prevalence of payment card fraud, the Nilson Report predicts that resulting losses will exceed $397 billion over the next decade. This alarming trend is compounded by the continuous advancement of technology and new fraud types.
Today, criminals don’t need your physical card to get hold of your financial information. Their techniques and devices for stealing card data have become so subtle that victims typically remain unaware of the crime until they detect an unauthorized charge.
This article will focus on debit card fraud, answering commonly asked questions like:
- How can someone use my debit card without having it?
- What do I do if my debit card has been used fraudulently?
- How do I protect my debit card information?
How Can Someone Use My Debit Card Without Having It?
A form of fraud that doesn’t require the presence of a physical card is called card-not-present fraud (CNP). If you don’t have proper security measures in place and the criminal obtains your debit card information, they can use it for fraudulent online or over-the-phone transactions. These types of transactions don’t require a PIN or signature, making the criminal’s job easier.
How Can a Criminal Get Hold of My Debit Card Information?
Below, you can read about the most common methods fraudsters use to get hold of the victim’s debit card numbers.
Breaking Into Mailboxes
Sometimes, criminals steal bank statements and other documents from the mailbox and use the information to impersonate the victim. They may attempt to change the account data, such as the mailing address, or apply for new cards.
Skimming
Skimming requires the presence of a plastic card, but only briefly. It occurs when criminals steal card information from unsuspecting victims using skimmers, small devices designed to capture a card’s magnetic stripe or chip data.
Familiarize yourself with common skimming methods:
| Method | How It Works |
|---|---|
| Separate skimming device |
If the perpetrator manages to get hold of the victim’s physical card for a second, they can swipe or scan it with a reader to extract the data. |
| Compromised ATM or PoS terminal |
The fraudster may tamper with an existing payment terminal or ATM. They typically do so by hacking into it or inserting a skimming device. |
| Fake public ATM |
In rare cases, the criminal may modify an ATM and place it in a public place. Thinking it’s real, the victim uses it and exposes their card information. |
| PIN theft | The criminals can fetch the victims’ PIN using a secret camera or a keyboard overlay placed on a PoS terminal or an ATM. |
Hacking
Hackers typically look for and exploit vulnerabilities in their targets’ online security. They may guess account login credentials using brute force attacks, figure them out by analyzing the victim’s online profile, or fetch the information through an unsecured Wi-Fi network. Once they’re into one account, the hackers can steal other credentials, such as those of the victim’s online bank account.
Phishing
One of the most common and sophisticated hacking methods is phishing. Posing as real people or businesses, the fraudsters send out fake emails or messages designed to manipulate the target into:
- Disclosing personal or financial information
- Following links containing fake payment or login pages
- Downloading attachments containing malware
The messages typically convey a sense of fear or urgency, putting pressure on the victim to take immediate action.
Data Breaches
In the first quarter of 2023, data breaches exposed over six million data records globally, as reported by Statista. Data breaches occur when criminals gain access to confidential data stored by different organizations. Their methods are various:
- Cyberattacks, such as brute force attacks and ransomware
- Exploitation of outdated security patches, misconfigured databases, and other liabilities
- Taking advantage of vulnerabilities in third-party vendors’ and partners’ systems
- Stealing physical devices containing the data
- Insider threats, i.e., authorized individuals who misuse their privileges for malicious purposes
The stolen data can then be sold on the dark web, exploited for illicit purchases, or used to create fake cards, among other things.
What Do I Do if My Debit Card Has Been Used Fraudulently?
If you notice any unauthorized charges on your debit card, take the following steps:
- View the transaction history—Determine how much money has been deducted from your account to understand the scope of the problem. You should write down the location of the transaction and any other helpful details. It is also important to verify that the transaction didn’t come from a family member or another authorized user.
- Get in touch with the bank immediately—Call or visit the bank to let them know about the fraudulent activity. Most of them offer 24/7 customer support.
- Cancel the debit card and request a new one—Canceling the card allows you to prevent further transactions.
- Stay on the lookout—Keep tracking your account activity. Inspect any messages you may receive, as the fraudster may have accessed your contact information and might attempt to extract more, such as the new card number.
It’s important to notify your card issuer as soon as you notice any suspicious activity. Consumer debit cards are governed by the Electronic Fund Transfer Act, which entails a specific time frame for dispute resolution. If you report the fraudulent charge within three days, your liability is generally limited to $50. If reported within 60 days, the figure may rise to $500. After that, you may not be able to get a chargeback.
Most banks employ a zero-liability policy, which means they won’t hold users responsible for the fraudulent charges at all. Still, you should reach out to your card issuer to check whether they offer this benefit and if it applies to your case.
How Do I Protect My Debit Card Information From Getting Stolen?
Canceling the stolen debit card doesn’t guarantee your safety. Once a hacker gets hold of your card information, they can not only transact with it but also use it to access additional information they can potentially misuse. That’s why a proactive approach goes a long way.
To avoid becoming a fraud victim, you should fortify your security measures to the fullest extent by:
- Monitoring your bank statements and enabling alerts—Check your bank statements regularly and enable transaction alerts to catch fraudulent activity on time
- Activating multi-factor authentication—Allow two-factor or biometric authentication wherever possible. That way, you’ll have to verify your identity before each transaction, reducing the risk of unauthorized use.
- Using strong passwords—Set strong and unique passwords for each account to make them more difficult to guess.
- Avoiding public Wi-Fi networks—Never perform transactions when connected to a public Wi-Fi network to avoid malware infections and data theft. Public Wi-Fi networks are less secure and can be easily targeted by hackers looking to intercept sensitive information.
- Shopping only on trusted websites—Don’t provide your debit card information on sketchy or unknown websites. Look for the padlock symbol on the left of the address bar to confirm that the connection to the merchant’s site is secure.
- Buying with virtual cards—Use a virtual card at checkout to mask your real financial information and protect it from unauthorized access. While some banks provide virtual cards to their customers, you may want to consider an independent provider like Privacy, boasting protection, customization, and control features.
Privacy Virtual Cards—An Effective and Convenient Way To Shield Your Financial Data
Don’t let fraudsters access your most sensitive data. Use Privacy, a virtual card service, to secure your funds and bypass the long and exhausting recovery process.
A Privacy Virtual Card is a randomly generated, unique 16-digit card number with its own expiration date and security code. It’s linked to your debit card or bank account but masks your real card information during online transactions. In case of a data breach, your card and bank data remain protected, as the hackers can only access your virtual card number.
You can shop with your Privacy Virtual Cards at most vendors that accept U.S. debit or credit card payments.
How To Use and Customize Your Privacy Cards
With Privacy, you have full control of your online transactions. Learn how to make the most of the platform in the table below:
