Dear Heloise: I gave my credit card to the girl at the fast food window, and then she got her phone out and was texting, or she could have been taking a picture of the back of my card, which has all the pertinent info on it: the 16 digit account number, the expiration date, my name and that three digit security code.

This made me nervous, so I called the card company. They said I am not responsible for any unauthorized charges, I can freeze my card on their website, and the phone representatives can always help. — Robin T. in Tennessee

Robin, the vast majority of service workers are honest and would not take a picture of your credit card, but if you got an uneasy feeling, it’s a good idea to check the account and make sure everything is OK.

Credit card companies are getting away from raised numbers on the cards. Those were needed when cards were run through an old-fashioned card reader that left three carbonless copies in the wake of its swipe.

Readers, what was the last transaction you remember being run through the manual “cha-chunk” card reader? Let’s go down memory lane. — Heloise

TECH TALK TUESDAY

Dear Readers: If you watch a lot of videos online, you may already know what a screen grab is. It’s one frame of video used to illustrate the content of the video.

Many times, the host or producer of the video may use a picture that is contrary to the tone of the content of the video just to “grab” your attention. — Heloise

ICE IS NICE

Dear Heloise: I can get mild panic attacks on occasion. I’ve found that when I get one, that is to say, a really uneasy feeling of nervousness and anxiety, I take a few ice cubes in my hands and hold them. The coldness of the ice gives my brain something else to think about other than my uneasiness. — Brayden B., age 16, in Arizona

Brayden, happy this helps you. If your symptoms do not dissipate, I want you to tell your family doctor. — Heloise

Send a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001, or you can fax it to 1-210-HELOISE or email it to Heloise@Heloise.com. I can’t answer your letter personally but will use the best hints received in my column.