Pulse issues ATM and debit card safety tips

Pulse, a Houston-based electronic funds transfer network, yesterday released tips that encourage cardholders to remain vigilant about safety while using debit cards at ATMs and point-of-sale terminals.

"The recession has prompted consumers to use their debit cards more than other payment methods, but with frequent use comes an increased potential for fraud," Jim Cichy, Pulse vice president of fraud management, said in a statement.

Pulse urged cardholders to keep their PIN secret, not to disclose card information over the telephone, and not to disclose card information in response to an unsolicited e-mail or verbal request. Cardholders also should make sure Internet sites are secure, immediately report a lost or stolen card, review account statements for unauthorized transactions and protect the card's magnetic stripe by not exposing it to magnetic objects.

Cardholders must never allow a cashier to enter the card's PIN, and they should block the view those waiting in line when using an ATM or PIN debit terminal, Cichy advised. Consumers must not use an ATM that has attachments or alterations to the card slot or keypad. They should report the ATM tampering immediately to the owner, he added.

Pulse offered the safety recommendations to launch its ATM & Debit Card Safety Awareness Month, which began June 1. Discover Financial Services, which is based in Riverwoods, Ill., owns Pulse, an ATM/debit card network that serves 4,400 financial institutions.