Jenn and I use a credit card almost exclusively for everyday transactions. This began as an effort to win Delta Skymiles (and is well worth the bookkeeping effort) but now seems like a good idea in general, unless we go back to cash.
In the past, thieves used devices on the outside of gas pumps to get PIN numbers and information from cards. They installed tiny cameras and card skimmers to steal the information and then dip into a victim’s account. In this case, somebody had placed devices inside gas pumps. [ed. emphasis]
There’s just no way to defend against something like that.
If you use a credit card and there is a fraudulent transaction, the credit card issuer will refund you the money and go looking for the perpetrator. In my experience I’ve never had a credit card company question my declaration of fraud.
I am more leary about debit cards because of the ability of a fraudster to remove actual money from your actual account, rather than just use the card to purchase things. Again, in my own experience, I’ve had Bank of America refund us approximately $100 due to someone swiping Jenn’s debit card info, but that was not a cash withdrawl.
Scary. Not so much that I feel like I’d go bankrupt but who has the time to deal with this sort of crap?
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