The digits on your Automated Teller Machine (ATM) cards are sensitive information that could put you at risk of fraudsters disguising as POS attendants.

An ATM card is a debit card issued by a financial institution which is used to withdraw from an account through the ATM.

The debit card has some digits on it that could be used for online transactions. The digits are important information used to make payment for services such as: school fee, trade, book flight or party tickets, and many other electronic payment methods.

The Digits on an ATM Card

16 Digits: The 16 numbers on the front side of the card is the Permanent Account Number (PAN). The first 6 numbers represent the bank’s identity. While the last 10 digits are linked to your account. The first 9 digits of the 10 numbers indicate your unique identity with the bank while the last digit is used to verify the card.

Expiry Date: Below the 16 digits is the expiry date of the card. The month comes first followed by a slash and the day “03-17.”

CVV Number: At the reverse side of the card is a 3-digit code ‘card verification value.’ It is used to authenticate any transaction involving the debit card.

The digits on your debit card should be kept safe from fraudsters. It could be used without your personal identification number to buy goods online.

In a public advisory shared by Hon. Ahmed Adeniyi Mustapha, the Ogun State Coordinator of Good Governance Ambassadors of Nigeria (GOGAN).

He advised that ATM card users should beware of the Point of Sale (POS) Centres they use.

“POS boys and Girls can be snapping your ATM card CVV number, yahoo boys open POS centres now and employ their students.”

He advised that you should:

1) Tape your ATM CVV number, and some of the 16 digits

2) If possible, slot your card in by yourself.

3) Use an ATM if you don’t have a trusted POS merchant, there is a POS system that can hack and can store your details (legit info).