My Debit Card Was Stolen - Here s What to Do

My Debit Card Was Stolen - Here s What to Do It s true; I never thought I would let it happen, but it happened without me having any knowledge of it. While you can minimize your risk of having your number stolen, if it does happen, you need to be on top of it. Just a few weeks ago, I discovered that I needed to make some calls. Normally, I log on to our bank account, just to double-check our recent activity, about every 2 or 3 days. As I logged on a few weeks ago, I noticed a charge to Apple iTunes for $67.33. While I initially thought I did not make a purchase with Apple, I did recently get an iPod and have not quite figured out iTunes yet. There was also a pending charge of $33 made the day prior, so I wanted to get to the bottom of this. Frankly, I did not even think about card theft because my card was in my wallet and had not been out of my sight. I was more worried that I had signed up for iTunes without knowing it, and they were charging me on a recurring basis. My research started with a phone call to the number listed on my bank s website next to the charge. The recorded message sent me to a page on Apple s website and that set off the alarms. The page suggested changing my account password and calling my bank to cancel the card because of expected theft. I opened iTunes, and realized that not only did I not have an account, but I have never given my card number to them. A phone call to my bank cleared it up and I began to realize what had happened. Most of the time when a card number is stolen, the thief begins with small purchases to see if they will clear. Once that is apparent, the real purchases begin. After just a few minutes on the phone with a bank representative, my card was canceled and I was issued a new one. Many people fear theft of a debit card because it is linked to an account with money in it, as opposed to a credit card that you pay at the end of the month. If you have a debit card, you have the exact same protection as a credit card offers. My bank issued a refund, which posted to my account within 24 hours. I am not liable for any charges I did not make myself, regardless of whether my card is designated as credit or debit. The only thing that remains to be done is to complete a few pages of paperwork and return it to the bank. I already have a new debit card in my possession, and a daily eye on my bank account shows no more charges that I do not recognize. As for how the card got stolen, I really have no idea. There are a lot of opportunities for thieves to obtain your data, but I cannot think of how it happened. If you purchase items online or anytime you give your card for someone to swipe, your information is out there for someone. Restaurants really scare me because the card is out of site when the server takes it to process a meal. That is just one more reason to pay with cash. Justin Lukasavige is a Personal and Business Coach and owner of Lukas Coaching. Visit lukascoaching.com/resources.htm for a ton of free tools to help you improve your health, finances, business, career and life ! lukascoaching.com For more free columns and articles, visit lukascoaching.com/articles.htm