According to FICO, debit card compromises by skimming surged 96% in 2023 compared to the previous year, with over 315,000 cards affected^[1]. The spike reflects just how aggressively criminals are targeting debit cards and finding new opportunities to exploit security gaps.

To help you strengthen your defenses, this guide will explain how to protect your debit card from getting hacked and make payment choices that reduce your exposure to fraud. We'll also explain how virtual cards can help keep your real debit card number safe.

How Do Debit Cards Get Hacked?

Some common methods criminals can use to hack your debit cards include:

• Stealing physical cards or bank statements, either by breaking into mailboxes or directly swiping your purse or wallet in crowded places
• Stealing an entire ATM or POS machine to access internal memory and extract stored card data
• Installing skimming devices (either overlaid on legitimate card readers or hidden inside ATMs and gas pumps) to secretly capture your card details during use
• Stealing your card information through data breaches at merchant websites or payment processors
• Using phishing attacks to trick you into revealing your card number, PIN, or security code via fake emails, texts, or websites posing as legitimate institutions

How To Know if Your Debit Card Is Hacked?

The most obvious sign your debit card was hacked is charges you didn’t make. Other card or account activities that might also raise suspicion include:

What Happens When Your Debit Card Gets Hacked?

Since debit cards are directly linked to your checking account, any unauthorized transaction instantly affects your available balance. 

To get your money back, you should report the transaction to your card issuer as soon as possible. Banks typically offer zero liability protection for unauthorized debit card charges, but you should still try to dispute the charge within two business days of noticing your card was stolen or hacked. If the bank doesn’t offer zero liability, this will limit the maximum amount you’re responsible for to $50^[2].

How To Prevent Your Debit Card From Being Hacked

Here’s what you can do to avoid having your debit cards hacked:

1. Practice safer online shopping habits
2. Be cautious at ATMs and POS terminals
3. Regularly monitor your accounts 
4. Take advantage of your banking app’s security features
5. Use safer online payment methods

Practice Safer Online Shopping Habits

Online shopping is convenient, but it may also leave you vulnerable to potential debit card fraud if you’re not careful. Here’s how to improve security when shopping online:

• Only shop from reputable retailers with “https://” and a padlock icon in the address bar. These indicate that the site encrypts your data during checkout.
• Avoid public WiFi networks (those in airports or coffee shops) when shopping online, as they’re vulnerable to hackers looking to intercept data mid-transaction.
• Avoid saving your debit card information on retailer websites (particularly on sites you rarely use). Manually entering your card each time is less convenient, but it keeps your details off databases that could be breached.

Be Cautious at ATMs and POS Terminals

To avoid getting your debit card information stolen at an ATM or POS terminal that a hacker has tampered with, you should always:

• Check for anything loose, bulky, or misaligned around the card reader or keypad. If something looks off, don’t insert your card
• Gently tug the keypad before entering your PIN to see if it feels loose or misaligned
• Shield the keypad with your hand when entering your PIN to block hidden cameras or prying eyes
• Choose well-lit ATMs (particularly ones located inside banks or busy stores) and avoid machines in remote spots or tourist-heavy zones
• Opt for chip or contactless debit cards, as they are far more secure than magnetic stripe swipes

Regularly Monitor Your Accounts

Even the best precautions and security measures might occasionally fail. That’s why it’s important to stay proactive in catching unauthorized activity early. Here’s how to stay one step ahead:

• Make it a habit to review your bank account transactions regularly—ideally every few days, using online banking or your mobile app.
• Set up balance and transaction alerts, especially for instances like withdrawals over a certain amount, online purchases, or foreign transactions.
• If you see suspicious charges, report them immediately. Contact your bank’s fraud department, or report the scam to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) or the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).

Take Advantage of Your Banking App’s Security Features

Modern banking apps offer tools that can help protect your debit card and account. To make the most of them, you should:

• Secure your banking login with multi-factor authentication (MFA), which requires two or more credentials to log into your account
• Use your bank’s card control features to toggle your debit card “off” when you're not actively using it
• Stay in the loop by enabling text, email, or push notifications for specific activities
• Consider premium checking accounts with added identity theft protection

Use Safer Payment Methods

Some payment methods offer more protection than debit cards. Digital wallets like Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay use encryption and tokenization to ensure your card number is never shared with the merchant. Instead, a unique token is generated for each transaction, so even if data is intercepted or the store gets hacked, your real card details remain secure.

Virtual payment cards take protection a step further. These cards are unique 16-digit numbers you can use at checkout instead of your actual debit card numbers, ensuring that a hacker cannot steal your debit card number when shopping online. If you choose an independent virtual card provider like Privacy, you can also benefit from additional security and card control features that make using your cards more convenient.

Privacy Cards—A Safer Way To Avoid Your Real Card Info Getting Hacked

Privacy is a BBB®-accredited virtual card provider trusted by over 250,000 users. Once you link your debit card or bank account, you can instantly generate virtual cards and use them with any merchant that accepts U.S. Visa^® or Mastercard^® cards.

Privacy offers security features comparable to those provided by banks, including:

• Two-factor authentication (2FA)—Strengthens your account security by adding a second verification step beyond a password
• Military-grade encryption—Protects your data in transit with an industry-standard TLS encryption and data at rest and storage with AES-256 encryption
• Secure servers—Stores your data on isolated, single-tenant servers across multiple locations, with no public internet access and strict firewall protection

If you notice any potentially suspicious charges, you can dispute them, and Privacy will investigate them and file a chargeback on your behalf if there are grounds for it.

Privacy Card Types and Features

Privacy offers four types of virtual cards:

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You can set custom spending limits on all your virtual cards. Privacy will decline any charges above the limit, helping protect you from hidden fees or duplicate transactions. You can also pause or close your cards, and Privacy will block any attempts to use them, helping you avoid charges you didn’t authorize.

Privacy Convenience Features

Here are some additional features that make paying with a Privacy Card convenient:

• Browser extension—Autofill your virtual card details instantly on any site using Privacy Browser Extension (available on Firefox, Edge, Chrome, Safari, and Safari for iOS).
• Mobile app—Generate cards, monitor transactions, and receive real-time alerts about declines and charges using the Privacy App (available for Android or iOS). 
• 1Password Integration—Generate, store, and access your virtual cards directly within the 1Password browser extension, so your payment information and passwords stay securely in one place.
• Card notes—Add details like merchant names, billing dates, or renewal reminders to your Privacy Cards to track where and how each card is used.
• Shared cards—Share virtual cards with family or trusted friends without revealing actual payment card details.

Signing Up for a Privacy Card

If you’re a U.S. resident aged 18 or older with a checking account at a U.S.-based bank or credit union, you’re just minutes away from creating your first Privacy Virtual Card. Here’s how to get started:

1. Sign up for a Privacy account
2. Verify your identity by submitting standard KYC (Know-Your-Customer) information
3. Link a funding source, such as your bank account or debit card
4. Request and generate your first virtual card

Privacy offers four flexible monthly plans, as outlined in the table below:

References

^[1]FICO. https://www.fico.com/blogs/debit-card-compromises-nearly-doubled-2023-fico-data, sourced May 6, 2025

^[2]Consumer Finance. https://www.consumerfinance.gov/ask-cfpb/how-do-i-get-my-money-back-after-i-discover-an-unauthorized-transaction-or-money-missing-from-my-bank-account-en-1017/, sourced May 6, 2025

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