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MARQUETTE COUNTY -- For many consumers, debit cards are the easiest way to pay.  But what many don't know is that the plastic payment option can be dangerous if you don't use it properly, particularly during vacation season, when identity theft is at an all-time high.

"It's probably easy pickings for the thief," said Superior Iron Range Credit Union's Plastics Manager, Donna Dix.  "A lot of folks are out there having fun, enjoying vacation, and they may not be paying as close attention as they should be to their finances."

She says there are certain places where you should avoid debit card usage.

"The biggest place I would say are phone and online transactions that I would avoid with the debit card and especially reoccuring payments," she said.  "If you have a monthly bill that you're paying, if it's reoccuring, and there's a month you don't want that to happen, it's going to happen regardless."

For such purchases, she reccomends using a credit card instead so money isn't immediately deducted from your account.

As a general rule of thumb, Superior Iron Range Credit Union recommends that you always keep your debit card in your sight.  In fact, the Marquette Police report that most frauds occur when a debit card is physically out of the consumer's view.  At restaurants or other merchants, thieves can skim your card.

"What skimming is, is a device that someone can run your card through, and it takes the information off your card and it can be later downloaded onto a computer and it can hold thousands of credit cards," said Detective Sergeant, Mike Kohler.
   
Used with caution, debit cards can be as safe as they are convenient.  Banks recommend you keep a ledger and watch your account.