There’s nothing like being lulled into a false sense of security. Thinking that your grandma will always live down the street, only to discover that she’s moving to Florida to live the good life. Automatic lights that are supposed to help save you energy, but end up flicking off when you spend too much time at your desk. Life is full of little disappointments, but some are more serious than others.
Safety is a huge thing for us here at InHomeSafetyGuide. We know the feeling of thinking that our parents will always be healthy and our homes are secure, only to find out that’s not the case at all. That’s why we review the best medical alert systems and home security systems.
Well, we’ve got another one for you.
Do you remember last year when we talked about how secure those cool new chip cards are? If you don’t remember, just click here.
We weren’t the only ones. Just click here, or here. Even Forbes initially shared their confidence in the cards, even if making the switch was going to prove to be a nuisance.
Well, it turns out that maybe those chip cards aren’t as foolproof as we thought.
The chip can fall off the card
Take a minute to let that sink in.
It’s so obvious. Why didn’t we think of that before! Well, we didn’t, and now it’s causing problems.
The chips are added to credit cards separately. That means they can fall off or be pried off. Then, with a little help from a crafty hand, that chip can be glued onto a new card.
Et voilà! A scammer can use your credit card after all!
The biggest problem is that your chip could fall off of your card and you may not notice. Jason Knowles, a reporter at WLS-TV says, “I didn’t realize for days because I was still allowed to swipe my card at many places with the magnetic strip.”
So, what are you to do? We wouldn’t be In Home Safety Guide if we didn’t have tips that will help you keep your credit cards safe!
Keep your credit cards safe from scammers
There are a few quick and easy things you can do to keep scammers from getting ahold of your card, or the chip in your card:
- Always sign the back of your card
- Store your PIN somewhere safe — don’t store it with your card
- Keep your card in a wallet or a purse when it’s not being used
- Call and have your card replaced at the first sign of damage
- Don’t get skimmed
If you do notice that the chip on your card has come loose or it has been lost, credit card companies are happy to provide you with a new card and a new account number the second you call. The greatest way to protect yourself is to be mindful of your cards and call them at the first sign of trouble.
Chip cards are still a safe alternative to the old swipe strip technology
Ready to toss your chip cards in the garbage (after they’ve been deactivated, of course)? Don’t give up on chip technology just yet. It’s still a step in the right direction.
“Chip cards are the most secure physical cards in the 40-year history of the plastic credit card,” says Jason Oxman, the CEO of the Electronic Transactions Association. He continues by saying, “Consumers have zero liability for fraud and are protected, even in the highly unlikely case that their card breaks.”
When you really break it down and think about it, the best way for fraudsters to use your credit card information when it contains a chip is to get ahold of your card. That’s just grabbing for straws compared to all the ways a thief could steal the information from a traditional swipe card. I mean, creating a separate number for each transaction is way better than using the same number over and over again, which is what a magnetic strip does.
Isn’t it? We think so, but only time will tell. Fraudsters are smart and creative — a deadly combination.
