Do you have such a PIN code? Change it immediately. The police warn against losing money

According to the NBP report, at the end of 2022, there were as many as 44.5 million payment cards in circulation on the Polish market. Recently, virtual cards have also become more and more popular, which can be useful especially for online transactions.

i.e. a police unit responsible for, among others, for the safety of Poles online, published a guide on the security of cashless payments.

Payment card security is a key element of protecting our finances. Therefore, it is important to be aware of potential threats and follow precautions that help protect your payment cards and personal information.

– explains CBZC.

Watch your PIN and set limits

The key element securing our funds is the PIN code for our payment card. Although we increasingly pay contactless (and therefore without a PIN), it is still worth making sure that this number does not fall into the wrong hands. As CBZC advises, under no circumstances should the PIN be kept with the card or written down in a form that would allow third parties to guess it.

Do not set a PIN that is linked to private information about you (e.g. date of birth)

– advise the police.

You should also remember to set limits for your payment cards (this can be done on the bank’s website or in the application). They should not be too high. Then, even if our card falls into the wrong hands, possible financial losses will be significantly limited.

It is also worth checking your card transaction history regularly. If we see payments there that we have no idea about, we should immediately contact the bank.

At an ATM, preferably with BLIK

The popularity of ATMs in Poland has been consistently declining, but many people still use these devices to withdraw cash. Therefore, it is worth remembering the following safety rules:

• Don’t withdraw money if someone is too close to you and can see your PIN.
• When entering the PIN, try to do it so that no one can see it.
• Consider withdrawing cash using single-use banking application codes (e.g. BLIK code).
• Before using an ATM, check whether any devices are connected to it – both at the card insertion point, on the keyboard (e.g. overlay) and, for example, cameras. If anything makes you suspicious, abandon the transaction.
• Check whether there are any additional elements or traces of glue on the device from which you withdraw cash, which may indicate the so-called

Do you pay by card? Remember about chargeback

We should make payments with payment cards ourselves. According to the police advice, you should absolutely avoid situations in which anyone from the hotel, restaurant, shop or other service staff takes your card with you.

If we come across a dishonest seller (e.g. when shopping online), it is worth remembering about the possibility of using the chargeback procedure. Thanks to it, we can recover our money if the service provider has not fulfilled the contract or the product received is not as described.

If you frequently use your payment card for online transactions, consider using disposable, prepaid, or virtual wallets.

– advises the Central Office for Combating Cybercrime.

Don’t be like Tusk and Wojewódzki. Protect your payment card details

In recent weeks, there have been at least two incidents that show that famous people also have serious problems with keeping their finances safe.

First, the popular journalist Kuba Wojewódzki published a photo on Instagram in which he showed his payment card with visible numbers, and shared a short video online showing him making payments at a pizzeria in Jagodno near Wrocław. In this case, they could also see his payment card number.

This is a significant error. As explained by the Central Office for Combating Cybercrime, each of us should absolutely take care of the security of our payment card. We should not make public both its number and – especially – the CVV2/CVC2 code that is on the back.

One of the myths regarding card payments is that without knowing the CVV2/CVC2 code, criminals will not be able to charge our card. This is not true.

If you pay online by card and use a payment gateway, always check whether the website you are on is genuine. To do this, check whether its web address matches the address of the payment gateway operator. If something raises your doubts, abandon the transaction.

– explains the Central Office for Combating Cybercrime.

It is also worth reading carefully the 3D Secure notifications that we receive when making online card payments. If we receive a notification about a transaction that we did not order, please contact your bank immediately.