Digital payments: 2.9 million Italians defrauded by e-cards. The rules on vacation.

The summer months are the most at-risk for fraud : last year, approximately 2.9 million Italians suffered a scam or attempted fraud involving their electronic payment cards, according to a survey commissioned by Facile.it and mUp Research. To help protect themselves, Facile.it has created a guide with 10 golden rules to avoid unpleasant surprises.

Before leaving, check directly with your bank to see if the card you're bringing with you is accepted in the country you plan to visit when traveling abroad. The same applies to contactless payments via smartphones and wearable devices, an increasingly popular alternative. The third golden rule is to review your card PINs before leaving and update your online banking apps, remembering to memorize the information and never leave the codes with your cards. To avoid unpleasant surprises, before leaving, you should also check whether the services you intend to pay for, such as car rental, accept only credit cards and not debit or prepaid cards.

Another rule to avoid surprises upon returning from vacation is to check your bank's terms and conditions for using credit or debit cards, including fees and any surcharges applied for transactions in a currency other than the euro if you're traveling abroad. When choosing a card, it's also advisable to pay attention to daily, weekly, and monthly spending limits, keeping in mind that debit and prepaid cards typically have lower limits. And, in general, when paying with cards in a non-euro area, it's best to use the local currency for transactions to avoid expensive exchange charges.

If your card is lost or stolen, or if suspicious amounts are charged, you should contact your bank immediately and block the card, otherwise the bank may not refund you. It's equally important to remember to activate app notifications or alerts that notify you in real time when your card is used. Finally, remember to monitor your spending even in the months following your return, when charges may be made unlawfully, whether it's a scam or a simple mistake.