How to Protect Your Pin Number

The right to privacy is one of the most important and fundamental ways banks and other financial institutions are able to safe guard important information about your bank account. Banks and other financial institutions will never ask you disclose private information about yourself, your account or your purchasing history. Read more to learn how you can protect your pin number.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Secret pin number
• Bank information
• Bank contact numbers
• Right to privacy
• Diligence

1. Choose an original and unique pin number. Choose a pin number that cannot be easily identified or attributed to any other account.

2. Make your pin number guess proof. Arbitrarily choose a random pin number that does not have any association to your birth date, wedding date, child's birthday, house address, or common word or phrasing attributed to your way of speech.

3. Cover the key pad with your hand when entering your pin number at a busy grocery store. Cover the key pad with your hand and ask customers with a visible view of the key pad to honor your right to privacy.

4. Change your pin number immediately if you suspect a third party has gained access to or discovered your pin number. Contact your bank to note the disclosure. Provide details about your suspcions, including the date and time you believe the pin number became available to the third party, the name of the individual(s), and the circumstance surrounding how the third party became aware of your pin number.

5. Take notes if you receive an email or phone call from your financial institute requesting pin number verification. Contact the bank in person with any written or verbal request by a bank employee for you to verify your pin number. Provide the name of the requestor, date of the request, and any other relevant information regarding the incident. File a written complaint and have the request documented.

Tips & Warnings

• Be cautious at all times when imputing your pin number for a purchase in a busy store.

• Never write your pin number on a piece of paper.