Security in the US is certainly no better than it is in other countries, and it may even be worse. How many times has a clerk in a store actually looked to see if the signature on the back of your credit card matches the slip you just signed? While there are a lot more hackers in Eastern European countries, they are mostly targeting the US. Most recently there has been over $1 million stolen through "Jackpotting" ATM machines. They modify the machine so that it just dispenses cash until it is empty.

Remember if you are using a credit card your liability for fraudulent charges is at most $50, and many cards don't even hold you responsible for ANY fraudulent charges. The real risk is a lot closer to home. Ordering with a laptop on public WiFi (Starbucks)? Every keystroke you make can be captured by someone. Buying gas with a card reader at the pump? It may have a "skimmer" attached that captures your card and sends it to the bad guys. Choosing not to pay for an antivirus subscription on your new computer that came with free limited time protection? Don't order anything ever, and don't keep any banking information on that computer. Open every email that seems to be from someone you know and click the link inside? At best, expect to be hacked. At worst, expect to turn your computer into a slave on the bad guy network.