(WUSA) -- Debit cards are great, but there can be risks. Credit cards and debit cards may look alike but their features can be different.
Even though debit cards come with fraud protection, those protections don't always work exactly the same way as credit cards. For example, it can take a lot longer to be reimbursed for fraud on a debit card. Bankrate.com reports that these four places can be riskier than others for using a debit card.
An outdoor ATM: skimmers that thieves insert into the card reading slot steal your information. You are better off using that debit card at an inside ATM.
Gas stations: again, a skimmer issue. Thieves have been known to add a pinpoint camera so they can capture your pin number. Then they have full access to all of the cash in your account.
Online transactions: a security expert tells Bankrate that online transactions can be the riskiest way to use a debit card. The risks include malware on your computer, someone eavesdropping on your transactions via a wireless network, and hacking attacks on the merchant's end.
Restaurants: Bankrate says it's best to not hand over your debit card in a situation where it will ever be out of your eyesight.