EC card stolen - you have to do that now

If you act quickly, find out that your debit card has been stolen. Read what to do now in this post.

EC card stolen - these steps are now necessary

Even if the theft is a shock, keep calm. Work through the following points one after the other:

• Have the EC card blocked as soon as possible. The call to the central blocked emergency call within Germany is free of charge and can be reached at 116 116. If the card has been stolen abroad, call +49 116 116. If this number cannot be reached with your network provider, dial +49 30 40 50 40 instead. Charges apply for calls from abroad.
• Have your IBAN or alternatively the bank sort code and the account number ready for the call.
• Make a note of the date, time and the name of the person you are talking to when you call 911. This is important because once the card has been blocked you are no longer liable if your card is used to withdraw money.
• Speech and hearing impaired people can have the EC card blocked by fax using a form.
• Immediately file a report to the nearest police station. Alternatively, many federal states already offer the opportunity to place an advertisement on the Internet.
• Inform your bank about the theft and apply for a new EC card.

If you do banking on your smartphone, you should take some precautions to protect your money. Read here how secure mobile banking is.