Debit Card Thieves Get Around PIN Obstacle

One late Wednesday night I was doing my regular checks and balances of my expenses on-line through my credit union when I noticed something strange. My account was in the negative. Now my initial reaction was that it was some mistake and the next morning when I awoke everything would be corrected. The next morning I checked again and this time my account was even more in the negative. I immediately called my credit union to find out I had several pending charges on my account. The charges were outstanding debit charges all coming from Arizona. The problem is I live in Texas not Arizona and then it hit me all at once I was a victim of identity theft.

The hassle of trying to place fraud alerts, closing the debit card accounts, getting my money back, and driving myself crazy wondering how could I have placed myself at risk was all that consumed me. Was it an online purchase, some store or a virus or spyware on my computer that could have led to this unfortunate incident? There is no simple way to pin point exactly where and when it all happened, but I discovered I was not alone and that fraudulent activity known as phishing is making identity theft more prevalent then ever before. The following article written on msn last year tells how debit card thieves get around the PIN obstacle.

Here are a few extra precautions you should take:
– Check your bank, credit card and other financial statements monthly for fraudulent activity
– Use caution when giving personal information over the telephone or Internet
– Shred pre-approved credit card applications and other financial information
before discarding(A cross feed shredder is excellent investment)
– Keep a detailed list of all your credit cards, account information and numbers to call to report a theft or loss
– Remove your name from credit card marketing lists. Frequently review your
credit reports

If you become a victim of identity theft:
– Contact the Fraud Departments of each of the three major credit bureaus
– Contact the creditors for any accounts that have been tampered with or opened fraudulently
– Contact your local Police Department and file a report of identity theft.