{"id":175953,"date":"2018-04-02T07:00:39","date_gmt":"2018-04-02T05:00:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/germistoncitynews.co.za\/?p=175953"},"modified":"2018-04-02T22:00:59","modified_gmt":"2018-04-02T20:00:59","slug":"vigilant-avoid-atm-card-fraud","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/germiston-city-news\/news-headlines\/2018\/04\/02\/vigilant-avoid-atm-card-fraud\/","title":{"rendered":"Be vigilant and avoid ATM and card fraud"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>As South Africans prepare to travel to holiday destinations around the country, Absa\u2019s card division has advised its customers to be even more vigilant around card and ATM fraud.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCustomers who travel, stay in hotels, eat in restaurants, and draw cash from unfamiliar ATMs during the Easter holiday, increase their risk of being victims of card and ATM related crime.<\/p><div class=\"stream-item stream-item-in-post stream-item-inline-post aligncenter\"><\/div>\n<p>\u201cHowever, it is possible to prevent this from happening by taking a few simple precautions,\u201d said Geoff Lee, head of Absa Card.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCustomers should always remember that without the correct PIN, an ATM card is useless and there are various things they can do, such as stopping their card, which can limit any financial damage.\u201d<\/p><div class=\"stream-item stream-item-in-post stream-item-inline-post aligncenter\"><\/div>\n<p>He warned customers drawing money from ATMs to be particularly wary of well-dressed, friendly strangers offering assistance at the ATMs.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe perpetrators of ATM crime often use sleight-of-hand techniques to obtain your card.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey may try to convince you that your card has been swallowed by the ATM and abuse your trust to allow him or an accomplice to observe you entering your PIN,\u201d said Lee.<\/p>\n<p>Customers are also advised to sign up for NotifyMe to ensure that they are always aware of all activity on their account the second it happens.<\/p>\n<p>Here are some tips to ensure your Easter holiday is not spoilt by fraud or theft:<\/p>\n<p><strong>ATM:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>When leaving the ATM check that you have received the correct card back.<\/li>\n<li>Never allow strangers, including apparent bank staff members or security guards, to assist you.<\/li>\n<li>Immediately report a card that has been retained by the ATM for any reason.<\/li>\n<li>If you think there may be any chance that your PIN and\/or card was comprimised, report this to your bank immediately in order that a &#8220;hold&#8221; may be placed on your card and account.\u00a0 Obtain a reference number for the complaint.<\/li>\n<li>If you think there might be something wrong with an ATM, have difficulty inserting your card or find strange-looking objects attached to the ATM, do not use the machine, report it to your closest Absa branch or alternatively to the Absa hotline number 0860 28 62 86.<\/li>\n<li>Never give your PIN or internet banking password to anyone, including family or a bank employee.<\/li>\n<li>Do not enter your PIN unless the ATM screen prompts you to do so.<\/li>\n<li>If you feel that your PIN or password might have been compromised, change it immediately.<\/li>\n<li>When entering your PIN at an ATM, stand close to the ATM and shield the keypad with your body in order to prevent other people from seeing it. Also, use one hand to shield the key board when typing in the PIN. This is also applicable when transacting at a point of sale at any shop.<\/li>\n<li>Never give out your personal information or banking details to strangers over the phone.<\/li>\n<li>Ensure that your daily ATM withdrawal limits are in accordance with your need and appetite for risk.<\/li>\n<li>Ensure that you are aware of the numerous ways in which your ATM card can be used to withdraw or transfer money. Cancel those facilities you do not need or require.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000\">ALSO READ:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/germistoncitynews.co.za\/175778\/what-plans-do-you-have-for-the-holidays\/\" target=\"_blank\">What plans do you have for the holidays?<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/germistoncitynews.co.za\/175668\/emergency-service-leaves-nothing-to-chance-this-easter\/\" target=\"_blank\">Emergency service leaves nothing to chance this Easter<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Card fraud:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Treat your credit card like cash by just carrying the cards you need and never leaving your cards unattended.<\/li>\n<li>Destroy expired cards by cutting them up.<\/li>\n<li>Sign new cards, with a ballpoint pen, immediately on receipt.<\/li>\n<li>Report lost or stolen cards immediately.<\/li>\n<li>Do not use your birth date or birth year as a PIN number, as criminals may have access to this information after stealing your bag or wallet.<\/li>\n<li>Do not save your PIN number on your cell phone.<\/li>\n<li>Be careful when giving your personal and credit card information to third parties.<\/li>\n<li>When giving your card to a merchant to swipe, check the details on the card to ensure that they have given back the correct card.<\/li>\n<li>When using a debit or credit card at any point of sale outlet or restaurant, never allow your card to leave your sight.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u201cIf people follow these steps they will have very little to worry about and can enjoy their Easter holidays with peace of mind,\u201d Lee said.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><strong>Have a story?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\">Contact the newsroom by emailing: Melissa Hart (Editor)<span class=\"apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/germistoncitynews.co.za\/wp-admin\/germistoncitynews@caxton.co.za\">germistoncitynews@caxton.co.za<\/a><\/strong>or Leigh Hodgson (News Editor)<span class=\"apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><strong><a href=\"mailto:leighh@caxton.co.za\">leighh@caxton.co.za<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>or\u00a0Kgotsofalang Mashilo (journalist)\u00a0<a href=\"mailto:kgotsofalangm@caxton.co.za\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>kgotsofalangm@caxton.co.za<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\">Remember to visit the Germiston City News on the following social media platforms:<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/germistoncitynews\/\">Facebook<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/GCNnews\">Twitter<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/germistoncitynews\/\">Instagram<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCblgxW6BRXTLGLQvpcumLqA\">YouTube\u00a0<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\">Or add the GCN on<span class=\"apple-converted-space\"><b>\u00a0<\/b><\/span><strong>WhatsApp 079 406 1181<\/strong><span class=\"apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span>or\u00a0<strong>BBM (BBM Pin: 7F102137)<\/strong><span class=\"apple-converted-space\"><b>\u00a0<\/b><\/span>today, to get all the latest news.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\">Catch-up on more local news with our sister newspapers<span class=\"apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/bedfordviewedenvalenews.co.za\/\">Bedfordview Edenvale News<\/a><\/strong>,<span class=\"apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/albertonrecord.co.za\/\">Alberton Record<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0and<span class=\"apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/kemptonexpress.co.za\/\">Kempton Express<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"stream-item stream-item-below-post-content\">\n<div class='tenancy_slot tenancy_slot_1 jannah_ad' style='display: none;' data-query-id='c05321297d019ea97aba036c3f8a2d92'><\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Customers should always remember that without the correct PIN, an ATM card is useless.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":78,"featured_media":138572,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"hasGravity":false,"cxt_article_byline":"Germiston City News","cxt_disable_google_ads":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,2],"tags":[1446,16941,16943,989,10148,979,969,2734],"class_list":["post-175953","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-local-news","category-news-headlines","tag-atm","tag-atm-fraud","tag-card-fraud","tag-crime","tag-easter-holiday","tag-germiston","tag-germiston-city-news","tag-melissa-hart"],"amp_enabled":true,"category_labels":{"Category":"News","SubCategory":"Local news"},"tag_labels":["ATM","atm fraud","card fraud","crime","easter holiday","germiston","germiston city news","melissa hart"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/germiston-city-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/175953","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/germiston-city-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/germiston-city-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/germiston-city-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/78"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/germiston-city-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=175953"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/germiston-city-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/175953\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/germiston-city-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/138572"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/germiston-city-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=175953"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/germiston-city-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=175953"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/germiston-city-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=175953"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}