The riskiest places to swipe your debit card

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Debit cards can put you at risk.

• Debit card fraud increased by 10% from 2016 to 2017, according to FICO.
• Since debit cards are linked to bank accounts, they don't offer as much fraud protection as credit cards.
• Here's when you shouldn't use a debit card - and when you should use cash or a credit card instead.

Swipe with caution.

While a debit card can help prevent you from racking up some serious credit card debt, it can also put you in a more dangerous situation - like the risk of identity theft or fraudulent charges.

Trust me, I know from experience.

I've always been an avid debit card user - I love tracking where my money goes, which seems nearly impossible to do with cash, and I aim to keep my credit utilization under 30% to keep my credit score in good standing. That said, I use my debit card for a decent bulk of my purchases or payments.

Yet, I learned the hard way that a debit card isn't your best bet for everything.

A few days after filling up my gas tank in South Florida, I noticed some strange charges on my checking account - a few payments at different gas stations in the area and a charge at a Home Depot located in the more northern part of Florida. Since I lack any homebuilding skills at the time (although I'm still no Bob the Builder), I knew right away these weren't my doing.

The fraudulent charges came out to roughly $175 - not a small sum, but it could have been worse. As a broke college student at the time, $175 was a goldmine. I had less than $10 left in my checking account - and I didn't even own a credit card yet.

Luckily, my bank alerted me to the unauthorized debit card use, and after I filed a dispute form my money was reimbursed.

That was the last time I used a debit card at a gas station, which is a popular target for criminals with card skimmers.

It seems I'm not the only one who has ignored the protective benefits of a credit card and experienced the highs and lows of a debit card - in August 2017, FICO reported a 39% rise in debit cards compromised at US ATMs and merchants. For 2017 overall, 10% more debit cards were compromised in the US compared to 2016.

Debit cards and credit cards are processed differently, meaning they propose different risks. With debit cards, there's more money at stake.

According to the Federal Trade Commission, users aren't held liable if they report a lost or stolen debit card before unauthorized charges are made, but are held liable for up to $50 of unauthorized or fraudulent charges if the issue is reported within two days. If you report the issue within 60 days, you may be held liable up to $500. And if you wait until after 60 days, your maximum loss is all the money the thief took from your debit account - and possibly any other accounts linked to it.

Credit cards have better fraudulent protection. Legally, credit card users are only liable for up to $50 of unauthorized or fraudulent activity if the activity occurs before you report it missing. According to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, if you report a lost or stolen card before it's used, the card company can't hold you responsible. If someone steals and uses your account number, you generally have no liability.

Credit cards also offer other valuable protections, such as chargebacks, extended warranties, and price protection.

Make sure to keep your checking account safe by resisting the urge to swipe your debit card at these seven risky places.