Dangers of using a debit card at the supermarket or gas pump

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Do you still pay for your groceries or your gas using a debit card? You could be putting your finances at risk.

I read a report in the banking trades about another supermarket chain hit by a criminal ring that put skimmers on the credit/debit card readers at nearly two dozen known locations throughout the state of California.

Very often, this particular kind of scam will be perpetrated by a crook dressed in the counterfeit uniform of the technology company that does regular routine maintenance on credit/debit card readers at a business!

When you run your debit card through the skimmer on the card reader, the criminals can make a duplicate of your card within minutes and use it anywhere in the world. You can have checks bouncing all over town while this is all happening.

At the gas station, if you choose to pay by debit card as a pay-at-the-pump transaction, a big hold is put on your checking account. The hold could easily be $100 or $200 for just $20 of gas. So again, you run the risk of insufficient funds charges if you have a low account balance and outstanding checks. If you must use a debit card at the gas stations, pay inside with the cashier, not at the pump.

But I prefer that you pay by credit card or cash at the gas pump or grocery store as a general rule. If your credit card is breached, you can dispute any phony charges that show up and a new card will be issued to you. It’s that simple.

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