It is definitely difficult to keep track of all of the changing rules and regulations. This thread has caused me to re think all of the procedures I thought I understood. As I think about all of the situations I have encountered as an employee of a financial institution, I have to admit that we have seen very few pin based fraud transactions. Generally, when the card is compromised, we see international fraud where a card has actually been duplicated and is being used as POS (point of sale using a vendor). We also see a lot of fraudulent internet transactions that are usually being processed outside of the US. We were able to gain some control over this by implementing no international transactions without prior authorization.

I went out on the internet looking for 2016 $0 liability rules. It appears as though Master Card has changed to $0 liability for some pin based transactions and Visa lists a lengthy list of hoops to jump through for $0 liability on pin based transactions. Our institution abides by the $0 liability....for example if you live in the US and you are at my desk and we are seeing international ATM transactions, there is definitely some fraudulent activity occurring. We have you sign a dispute form, provide you with provisional credit and allow the card companies to investigate the "fraud". I have only seen one case where the consumer did not get to keep their provisional credit...in that case, they rented a U-Haul, used the U-Haul for the day and upon returning the U-Haul, complained to a manager that they received poor service. The manager indicated that they would receive a credit and when they did not get the credit, came to us. We followed the dispute process and Visa decided that they indeed used the service and should pay the cost.

We live in a world where our information is definitely not secure! I am anxiously awaiting the decision with the FBI trying to force Apple to write new codes that will make our phone information even more available.

Putting information out regarding fraud helps us to be more informed consumers, but will not stop the fraud. We need to become more proactive and protect ourselves.....maybe not use debit cards on the internet or at an ATM in downtown Negril or Timbuktu? I guess the thing I wish people understood is that it is not just Jamaica.....it is everywhere.

We have become so accustomed to having immediate access to our money that we do not even stop to think about the consequences of swiping our cards. I have visited Jamaica often and have never found the need to use my debit card. I am one of those people who use cash, however carrying cash also presents security issues and headaches. Again, the best advice I can provide is to know what your bank's policies are so you can make an informed decision, keep your daily limits low and even though you are on vacation, stay connected to your financial institution.