How do I know who charged my debit card?

What’s card fraud

Card fraud occurs when someone uses your bank cards or accounts to make purchases you didn’t authorise or know about. They do this by using your physical bank cards (whether lost or stolen) or card details that they’ve gotten hold of without your knowledge.

Here are the most common ways card fraud can occur:

• Lost or stolen cards
• Stolen mail
• Counterfeit card is made
• Malware
• Database breach
• Random card number generation
• Providing your card details to third parties
• Card skimming

How to protect yourself online

• • Before you browse or shop online, ensure your computer’s anti-virus is up-to-date
  • Navigate directly to an online store using your web browser, rather than by clicking an email or social media link
  • Pause before you pay – conduct some additional checks before providing an online merchant with your credit card details, such as reading the merchant’s reviews on Google and social media, and any comments by customers on their social media ads
  • Check that the website begins with https:// before providing card details online
  • Consider using a low-balance card to limit your losses should your card details fall into the wrong hands
  • Regularly check your statements. If you’ve been shopping online, keep an eye on your transaction history and report anything suspicious as soon as possible. A small, unauthorised charge can be the first sign of credit card theft – a very small transaction, sometimes of just a few cents that you dismiss is often to check if your account is active before they use it for a big transaction
    
  • Think twice before connecting to free public Wi-Fi networks. Cybercriminals like to lurk on public networks and intercept your activities, or even set up rogue hotspots for you to connect to, so never shop or bank online using public Wi-Fi

How to protect yourself in store

• • Make sure no one can see your PIN when you enter it. Cover your hand and beware of bystanders or concealed cameras
  • Be discreet when withdrawing cash
  • If you believe an ATM may have been tampered with, don’t use it. Tell staff at the nearest branch or call the local police station
  • Tell-tale signs of tampering can include: 
  • Glue residue around the card reader slot.
  • No green light flashing around the card reader
  • Abnormal or loose fixtures
  • Exposed wires
  • Merchandise holders attached to the side of the ATM, where they can be used to hide a camera. Remember, CommBank never attaches merchandise holders to our ATMs
  • A fake-looking keypad, or a keypad with a loose plate
  • Only hand your card to someone you trust and keep your card in sight during a transaction
  • If contactless isn’t available to tap your card, insert your card into the terminal to use the chip instead of swiping the magnetic stripe
  • If you are in a store or taxi and the assistant wants to swipe your card out of your sight or in a second machine, ask for your card back and either pay by cash or cheque, or consider not making the purchase

Suspect fraud? What next?

• Get in touch

  If you (or someone you know) is a CommBank customer and has been targeted or lost money as a result of fraud, call us immediately 24/7 on 13 2221.

  Report it

  Report fraud via the Australian Cyber Security Centre. Reports may be referred to the police for possible investigation.

  Take control and stay protected

  Change your passwords and PINs straight away if you suspect your security has been compromised. Change these regularly as a preventative measure.

  Seek support

  Contact IDCARE on 1800 595 160 or via www.idcare.org. IDCARE is a free, Government-funded service that provides support to victims of identity crime.

Things you should know

• As this advice has been prepared without considering your objectives, financial situation or needs, you should, before acting on the advice, consider its appropriateness to your circumstances. The information provided on this page has been compiled by CommBank to educate you on ways to minimise the likelihood of being victim to fraud or experience unauthorised transactions on your accounts, and where to seek help if you believe either of these have occurred.

Lately, we’ve received a lot of questions about what to do in light of the recent data breach at Target retail stores. This theft of credit and debit card information could impact tens of millions of consumers and we want to let you know what you can do to protect yourself if you spot fraudulent charges.

1. Check your accounts for unauthorized charges or debits and continue monitoring your accounts

If you have online or mobile access to your accounts, check your transactions as frequently as possible. If you receive paper statements, be sure to open them and review them closely. If your provider offers it, consider signing up for email or text alerts.

Report even small problems right away. Sometimes thieves will process a small debit or charge against your account and return to take more from your bank account or add more charges to your credit card if the first smaller debit or charge goes through. And keep paying attention—fraudulent charges to your card or fraudulent debits to your bank account might occur many months after the theft of your information during a data breach.

2. Report a suspicious charge or debit immediately

Contact your bank or card provider immediately if you suspect an unauthorized debit or charge. If a thief charges items to your account, you should cancel the card and have it replaced before more transactions come through. Even if you’re not sure that PIN information was taken, consider changing your PIN just to be on the safe side.

If your physical credit card has not been lost or stolen, you’re not responsible for unauthorized charges. You can protect yourself from being liable for unauthorized debit card charges by reporting those charges immediately after you find out about them or they show up on your bank statement.

If you spot a fraudulent transaction, call the card provider’s toll-free customer service number immediately. Follow up with a written letter. Your monthly statement or error resolution notice will tell you how and where to report fraudulent charges or billing disputes.

When you communicate in writing, be sure to keep a copy for your records. Write down the dates you make follow-up calls and keep this information together in a file.

If your card or PIN was lost or stolen, different rules may apply. Your timeline for reporting after your card, PIN, or other access device is lost or stolen is tied to when you discover the loss or theft or when unauthorized transactions show up on your bank statement. Therefore, you should make the report as soon as you know that there is a problem

3. Submit a complaint if you have an issue with your bank or card provider’s response

Debit card issuers should investigate the charges (generally within 10 business days) and take action quickly (generally within 3 business days). For your credit card, it can take longer, but you don’t have to pay the charge while it’s under investigation. You also have a right to see the results of their investigations.

If you have an issue with their response, you can submit a complaint online or by calling (855) 411-2372. For TTY/TDD, call (855) 729-2372.

If you have other questions about billing disputes and your debit and credit card protections, you can Ask CFPB.

4. Know when to ignore anyone contacting you to “verify” your account information by phone or email

This could be a common scam, often referred to as “phishing,” to steal your account information. Banks and credit unions never ask for account information through phone or email that they initiate. If you receive this type of contact, you should immediately call your card provider (using a customer service number that you get from a different source than the initial call or email) and report it.

For more information on phishing scams, check out the FTC’s consumer alerts .

For more information, check out the consumer advisory.

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