The Most Dangerous Places to Use Your Debit Card

If you're anything like me, you never carry cash and you've almost forgotten how to write a check.  Those things are why God made debit cards.  We even pay bills online, so that debit card is crucial, but it's also vulnerable. 

In all actuality, protecting that debit card from hackers or thieves is one of the most important things we can do to safeguard our finances.

In an article from ABC News, we've learned the four riskiest places to use that debit card and they're actually easy to avoid.

1.  Outdoor ATMs.  Basically, don't use an ATM at all if it's outdoors and out of the way.  Thieves will put a fake card reader over the real one, and copy the information on your card.  Then there's a little spy camera to record you entering your PIN.

2.  Gas pumps.  This is the same trick, but it's even easier because so many gas stations are unattended at night.  Some owners have to check their pumps every single morning because they get hit so often.

3.  Online stores.  Always use credit online, because credit cards have much better fraud protection.  Thieves can get information from your own computer using malware, hack into your wireless network, or steal info right from the merchant.

4.  Restaurants.  Every time you use plastic to pay at a restaurant, a stranger takes your card out of sight for five minutes or more.  You don't know that person.  They could be doing anything with your information back there.