Qatar residents making the most of the Eid holidays have been advised to take the necessary precautions to protect themselves against fraud and theft, especially when travelling abroad.

According to MasterCard, incidents such as fraud and theft when travelling abroad are "often overlooked" by some holidaymakers.

1. Credit cards are still King! Despite the risks, travelling without cash is still, by far, the safest way to travel.
2. Before you leave home, check that your EMV-enabled Chip-and-PIN payment card will not expire during your travels.
3. Keep a (secure) list of the cards that will be used during the trip, including their respective account numbers.
4. Inform the bank of travel plans and the duration of the trip - some banks require this for cards to work at all.
5. Make sure you have your PIN for your MasterCard, so that if required you can withdraw a cash advance from any ATM.
6. Never let your debit card or credit payments out of your sight and make sure transactions are done in front of you.
7. Take as little cash with you as possible. If you need to top up when you arrive, make use of the ATM locator using your smartphone.
8. Do not to divulge any information to suspicious e-mails and other phishing-type messages. (Read more about phishing below)
9. Avoid disclosing your PIN to anyone, including family members, waiter or waitress, cashier, or sales staff.
10. Stand close to the ATM and shield the screen and PIN pad to safeguard the numbers while they are being entered. 

What is Phishing?

Phishing is an e-mail scam that attempts to trick people into revealing their card numbers, PINs and account login passwords, or other financial information.

Most phishing attacks start as an e-mail that links to a fake Internet site that looks legitimate with familiar logos and graphics, one bank advisory stressed. Your information security is of importance…

Please note banks will never use e-mail to request your personal or electronic banking details, nor should you provide your user ID and password via e-mail or telephone.