Tips to Avoid Fraud and Cloning of Credit Cards  

To avoid being victims of a fraud or unauthorized charges appear on our credit or debit card, we must be very careful in the places where we use plastic card, be attentive when paying, see in which terminal the charge will be made, Verify that the amount to be paid is correct and do not lose sight of the card. Criminals take advantage of carelessness to clone or steal personal data.

So, if you are going to pay with your credit or debit card, make sure the place is trustworthy , well established, have a notice that says you can pay with a card, and check that the terminal has the logo some bank , besides that they can take it to your place in case of needing it. The sites where they accept payment by card always give the option to verify the moment when the payment is made and they will never make excuses to take your card to a place where you cannot see it.

BIN Checker: Free online tools to check, verify & validate BIN (Bank Identification Number), Credit Card and Debit Card.

Types of cloning of most common cards:

The most used techniques for cloning a credit or debit card are:

Skimmer: is a device that makes a copy of the magnetic strip of the bank card and through a computer that information is copied to an empty card. This crime occurs in places where the customer loses sight of his credit or debit card for a moment.

False prizes: the scammers make the chosen person believe that they won a big prize and the only condition to deliver it is to provide certain personal or bank information, however, it is only a hoax to obtain personal data and commit fraud.

Phishing: criminals send a false email or text message and notify the customer that an unusual transaction was made in their account, and then they ask for their bank details to verify the movement.

In one year, 60% of the claims for financial fraud, according to data from the National Commission for the Protection and Defense of Users of Financial Services (Condusef). During 2016, the complaints for the crime of fraud amounted to 1 million 363 thousand 271, which represents an increase of 60% over 2015. The amount of the claims is equivalent to 3 thousand 072 million 264 thousand 732 pesos. Among the most vulnerable products are credit cards (57%), debit cards (41%) and demand deposit accounts.

The most common ways of committing bank fraud in Mexico are: the theft and misplacement of the credit or debit card, the cloning of the magnetic stripe in ATMs or collection terminals, purchases by telephone or internet, electronic transactions and through counterfeiting of personal data, according to the Condusef. Scammers operate mainly in bars or clubs, restaurants, department stores, shopping centers, hotels and resorts.

Recommendations to avoid cloning

1. Avoid using the bank card in places where many people attend.

2. Do not lose sight of the plastic when the payment is made, or ask to bring the terminal to your place.

3. Always monitor the balance, so you can know if there is any unusual movement in the account.