4th of July Financial Safety Tips

Posted on July 3rd, 2024

The Fourth of July is here, which means NuMark will be closed for the day to spend time with loved ones. It also means that fraudsters are going to be looking for opportunities to steal your personal information.

Fraudsters who tamper with ATMs love Holidays and Holiday weekends! They use the fact that financial institutions will be closed an extra day, and people are excited to relax and not pay as much attention to their bank activity. They place skimmers and shimmers on ATMs, gas pumps, and Point of Service terminals. Even the handheld Square payment devices can be compromised.

Use your own cards wisely! Jiggle, wiggle, and shake attachments to machines before you slide your card. If anything seems loose or out of place, use a different machine. It is also a good idea to use your digital wallet for tap-to-pay options as much as possible!

While enjoying your holiday please keep a few additional things in mind:

• Choose Credit or Bypass PIN (instead of entering PIN at any terminals)- this way if your card is compromised, they cannot access CASH.
• Pay inside at the gas station whenever you can, but remember, those terminals are not always protected. They just have more eyes on them.  If you must pay at pump, be leery of anyone standing around. They could be attempting to   capture images of your card.
• Always carry a few dollars in your pocket and if it a terminal seems suspicious, DON’T use your card!
• Don’t post your holiday plans on social media! Fraudsters LOVE to target “empty” homes.

If you come back from your holiday and notice suspicious activity on any of your accounts, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us so we can help remedy the situation.

Have a happy and safe Fourth of July from all of us at NuMark!