Your Ocean Bank debit card uses chip and encryption technology for a secure, convenient way to pay for purchases and withdraw cash at ATMs. However, debit card information can still be compromised in a scam called skimming. Criminals attach devices to card readers, like those at gas pumps or ATMs, or use hidden cameras or keypad overlays to steal your card information or PIN and then use it to access your bank account and commit fraud.

Here are some tips to identify a skimming scam.
 

• Do you see a camera pointed at a card reader keypad?
• Are there stickers or gaps in the plastic around the card reader slot?
• Does it look different from other nearby card readers?
• If you pull on the card reader, does it move?

Follow these steps to avoid being skimmed.
 

• Move your vehicle to a different gas pump that’s visible to an employee, which makes it harder for criminals to install a skimmer, camera or other device.
• Choose the credit option so you don’t have to enter a PIN.
• Use an ATM inside a branch or other location.
• Shield the keypad to block cameras when you enter a PIN.

Remember, your contactless Ocean Bank debit card gives you the freedom to tap to pay or upload to your digital wallet or smartwatch and avoid becoming the victim of a skimming scam.