Protect Yourself at the Pump - Money Tip Tuesday

If the price of gas frustrates you, some scammer trying to access your card information while you are gassing up might push you over the edge. In this tip you'll learn how you can protect yourself at the pump. 

Links: 

• Learn more about Triangle's contactless debit and credit cards
• Learn how to manage your cards and create alerts within mobile banking 
• Follow our Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages!
• Learn more about Triangle Credit Union

Transcript:

Welcome to Money Tip Tuesday from the Making money Personal podcast. 

More than ever, we are hearing about fraudulent activity at gas stations. Fraudsters use card skimming devices to gain access to your credit and debit card information at the pump and you might not even be aware of the threat. 

According to fraud experts, the skimming device is attached to the pump to make it look like a piece of the gas pump payment terminal. After closer examination, you may notice that the reader is simply a piece of molded plastic that is attached to the card reader. Fraud experts encourage you to do a tug test on the device—if you can move the plastic, it’s probably a card skimmer and you should report it to the gas station attendant immediately. If you already used your card at the station, you should also notify your financial institution to minimize fraudulent activity on your card. 

The good news is: there is new token technology for your protection, and many financial institutions, including Triangle Credit Union,  offer this technology through mobile wallet and contactless card payments that protect you wherever you shop (or gas up). While tokenization saves time and is convenient, the process eliminates the need to input your Personal Identification Number (PIN), which minimizes fraudulent activity. Instead of a PIN-based transaction, mobile wallets issue an encrypted series of randomized numbers and/or letters in place of your card information. This series of numbers and letters is called a token. Similarly, contactless cards produce a one-time cryptographic code/token that masks your card information for a safe and secure transaction. These tokens are one-time use only, so if card or transaction data is fraudulently stolen from a payment terminal, your card information isn’t included, and the token cannot be reused. 

In addition to the technical side of the security these features offer, mobile wallet will also protect you from the issues that come from losing or dropping your card. When you use mobile wallet to make a payment at the pump or at the register, your purchase is authenticated through a series of confirmations: first, your ownership of the device is authenticated through biometrics, then your intent to pay is authenticated by clicking or tapping on your device. So, the security of your device creates an additional layer of fraud prevention for unauthorized payments if you lose your mobile phone. 

Triangle Credit Union’s mobile app also has integrated card controls so you can turn your debit and credit cards on or off with the toggle of a button. Keep your cards off when you’re not using them and turn them on to make a purchase. This will help protect your cards from unauthorized payments, anywhere at any time. 

Add your Triangle credit or debit card to your mobile wallet today. Visit trianglecu.org to learn more about Mobile Wallet. 

If you are member of Triangle Credit Union and would like to request a contactless debit card, please make an appointment through the concierge service at trianglecu.org and you can schedule a time to pick up your card at your convenient branch location. 

If you have any comments or ideas for additional tips, please email us at tcupodcast@TriangleCU.org. Be sure to follow the Making Money Personal podcast page on Facebook and IG for more great content. 

Thank you to our sponsor, Triangle Credit Union, and to you for tuning in!  

Have a great day everyone!