Banks recommend that you be careful about tearing and throwing away the letters containing the PINs that they themselves send along with the new credit cards. But did you know that there are many other things you can do to protect your code and make sure no one tries to use your account? Debit cards are also very attractive to would-be thieves, because the cash they would be able to withdraw immediately is more attractive than the items they would have to buy and resell using a credit card. Here are some simple additional steps to follow to best protect your PIN.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Choose a Good PIN
Step 1. Choose a number combination that is not obvious
Your birthday, your wedding anniversary, your phone number or your home address are all pretty cheap, so avoid using them as a PIN. Rather, think of numbers disconnected from any important event in your life or any address that can be linked back to you.
- One technique that works for PINs is to divide them into two groups of two digits and treat each as a year - so that, for example, 8367 becomes 1983 and 1967 - and then find some event that matches each year. Each event must be something personal, known only to you, or something historical, but relatively obscure. From this, he then finds a funny and strange phrase that connects the two events, from which the events themselves, and therefore the dates, cannot be easily deduced. Write down this sentence, rather than the number itself.
- Another way to create a PIN that is also easy to remember is to translate a word into numbers (like on a phone keypad). For example, Wiki would be 9454. ATM keyboards often have letters printed next to numbers.
Step 2. Use different PINs for different cards
Don't use the same PIN for all of your cards. Use a different PIN for each card so that if you lose your wallet, it would be much more difficult for thieves to find out the PINs of all the cards contained in it.
Method 2 of 3: Keep Your PIN Private
Step 1. Don't tell anyone your PIN
It may be tempting to trust a friend or family member by revealing your PIN digits, but doing so is not a good idea. Circumstances can change and, at times, people may face situations greater than their willingness to repay the trust you have placed in them; a person you trust may be forced by a third party to disclose your PIN under threats. Certain situations are better off never having to face them.
Step 2. Never give up your PIN in response to emails or telephone inquiries
Phishing consists of emails asking for your bank account details, passwords and PINs. Delete those emails without thinking for a second and never reply. More, never reveal your PIN on the phone; it is never needed, so any request is a scam attempt.
Step 3. Cover your PIN when you use it
Use your other hand, a checkbook, a piece of paper, etc. to hide your PIN from view when you type it on an ATM or shop keypad. Be especially careful in stores, where there may be a queue behind you and someone might intentionally throw their eye at the cash register number pad. Also beware of "skimmers" when using the ATM; these are scanners that can read the details of your debit card, and the PIN to use it is usually obtained by using a hidden camera or by observing you during the withdrawal. If you cover the PIN well as suggested, any scanner will become useless.
Step 4. Never write your PIN on paper
Not even in your secret diary. If you really have to write it, disguise it in some way or put it somewhere totally unrelated to your card, like in the middle of a collection on Shakespeare.
Method 3 of 3: Discourage Theft
Step 1. Keep an eye on your checking account to monitor for any suspicious activity
Check your bank statements regularly to make sure no unauthorized transactions have been made using your card. Your bank will most likely contact you if they suspect that all transactions are fraudulent, but it's always a good idea to check personally and on a regular basis. If possible, check your account online rather than waiting for a paper statement.
Step 2. If your card is lost or misplaced, contact the bank immediately
Tell the bank immediately if you think your PIN is in danger, perhaps due to a trivial number combination, a PIN equal to your date of birth (losing wallets, thieves would also find your identity card) or, horror of horrors, of the fact that you wrote the PIN on a post-it contained in the wallet or on the card itself. Ask the bank to immediately block your card.
Step 3. React quickly
If you think someone is using your card, even if you still have it with you, immediately notify the bank and the police, and immediately change your PIN code.
Advice
- Respect the privacy of other ATM users or those who pay with their card at the supermarket; give it space and don't stare at the numeric keypad.
- Here's how to write the PIN without necessarily revealing it to anyone: 1) Think of a number that only you know and that you are sure not to forget. 2) Add or subtract that number from your PIN code. 3) Write the new number on the back of the card itself (which could annoy a potential thief to the point of making him desist) 4) Use the same procedure for all your other PINs.
- If you are low on memory, try memorizing the PIN using some mnemonic technique.
- If your bank allows it, use a 5 or 6-digit PIN. However, remember that some foreign ATMs may only accept 4-digit PINs.
- Be diligent and check your account often to make sure no unauthorized transactions have been made with your card.
- One of the techniques for memorizing PINs is to divide them into two two-digit groups and treat each group as a year. For example, 8367 becomes 1983 and 1967. At that point you just need to find some event related to each of the two years. Choose personal events, unknown to anyone else, or something historical but little known. Once you have obtained the events, think of a strange or in any case particular phrase that manages to connect the two events, so that hearing it comes to mind the two events and, consequently, the digits of your PIN. At that point write and bring with you the phrase found instead of the PIN itself.
- Do not save your PIN in the phone book by disguising it as a telephone number. It's an old trick for thieves, and your cell phone address book will be one of the first places they'll look.
- Instead of signing the back of the card, write "Photo ID required." Many identity documents have your signature on them. Lately, many cashiers are starting to check the signatures on the cards, and in this way they will be able to both see your signature and check from the photo that it is actually you.
- One way to create an easy-to-remember PIN is to translate a word into numbers as if you were typing it on an old cell phone keypad. For example: Wiki becomes 9454. Further help comes from the fact that the numeric keypads of many ATMs often have the letters printed next to the numbers.
Warnings
- Always keep in mind that if you you lend your card and PIN to someone, the bank has the legal right to refuse you a refund if the card is compromised.
- Always use the same ATM to be safer, and pay attention to everything around it, for example: the height of the numeric keypad, the monitor frame, etc. If there is something new added to the usual door, it could be a scanner or a camera. If in doubt, contact the bank responsible for that branch.
- Contact your bank immediately if the counter does not return your card to you. It would probably be a scam attempt.
- Don't listen to anyone who suggests you never sign the back of your card. If the card is found, you may not receive any reimbursement for the expenses made by the criminals, as the lack of a signature would have prevented the cashiers from understanding that the person who carried out the expenses was not you.
- Never write your PIN on a postcard or letter envelope.
- Don't worry about holding your card near magnets; the strip will not demagnetize with proximity alone. However, passing a strong enough magnet directly over the strip could erase or damage the data on the card.
