Fraudsters target UK credit card users
London has been named and shamed as the credit card fraud capital of the UK for the second year running, according to figures recently released. Insurance company CPP reported that 38% of the capitals credit card users had been the victim of fraud in 2008 " a jump of 10% on previous figures. In just 12 months nearly three million people had their identities stolen and their credit and debit cards scammed. This number constitutes a third of all credit card fraud in Britain and is on the rise. The average amount stolen was 650, although some people suffered much higher losses. Often completely unaware that they had been the victims of criminal activity, the first customers knew of the attack was when notified of it by their bank.
These worrying statistics show just how easy it is for determined criminals to get access to sensitive personal details, pin numbers and credit card information. Online fraud is of particular concern for many people as millions of very convincing but utterly fraudulent emails are sent to accounts every day, pretending to be from legitimate banks and asking for customers to confirm their details. These emails " known as phishing emails " look like the genuine article and once a customer has responded to the request their details are in the hands of the criminals and the bank account starts to empty very quickly.
However, there is a very easy way to protect yourself against this kind of attack and that is never respond to any email asking you to confirm sensitive information. No bank will ever ask you to do this legitimately either by phone or by email, so you can be sure those that do are scams. If you have any doubts, contact your bank directly. The growth of online auction sites and Internet shopping has given criminals a new route into peoples personal details, but again it is fairly easy to carry out a few basic checks to ensure that the site you are using is secure. A secure site should have a URL address that includes the prefix https and a padlock icon in the bottom right hand corner of the screen. If these are missing then the site is unsecured and so are your credit card details.
21% of credit card fraud is the result of details being skimmed when a credit or debit card is inserted into an automatic cash dispenser or pin reader. Although these high-tech methods are becoming increasingly difficult to detect, any ATM machine or pin reader that looks suspicious (has damage around where the card is inserted, for example) should be avoided and your suspicions reported to the bank. Simply placing your hand over the keypad when typing in your pin number should shield it from prying eyes or secreted cameras.
Many people make the mistake of having one password for all their secure sites or Internet activities. Once the fraudsters know this password it is easy for them to obtain all the information they need to steal an identity. By ensuring that your passwords are secure you can make life much more difficult for opportunist fraudsters. These are all simple actions that anyone can employ to defeat the online criminal, but what about the banks? Many people worry that their details are not being kept secure by institutions and financial lenders (especially after a plethora of reports about sacks full of personal details left out casually for rubbish collection by high street banks).
Banks and credit card companies are now much more aware of the dangers of identity theft and spurred on by reports of customers details being left out for the bin-men are implementing much stricter security protocol to ensure the safety of sensitive information. They are also working closely with the Police (both nationally and internationally, as many of the fraudsters operate outside the UK) to combat credit card fraud and cyber-crime. It is an ongoing battle, but by using simple methods to protect your credit card details combined with the financial institutions initiative against fraud there is a good chance that Britain will be able to shake off the image of being an easy target for credit card fraudsters.
These worrying statistics show just how easy it is for determined criminals to get access to sensitive personal details, pin numbers and credit card information. Online fraud is of particular concern for many people as millions of very convincing but utterly fraudulent emails are sent to accounts every day, pretending to be from legitimate banks and asking for customers to confirm their details. These emails " known as phishing emails " look like the genuine article and once a customer has responded to the request their details are in the hands of the criminals and the bank account starts to empty very quickly.
However, there is a very easy way to protect yourself against this kind of attack and that is never respond to any email asking you to confirm sensitive information. No bank will ever ask you to do this legitimately either by phone or by email, so you can be sure those that do are scams. If you have any doubts, contact your bank directly. The growth of online auction sites and Internet shopping has given criminals a new route into peoples personal details, but again it is fairly easy to carry out a few basic checks to ensure that the site you are using is secure. A secure site should have a URL address that includes the prefix https and a padlock icon in the bottom right hand corner of the screen. If these are missing then the site is unsecured and so are your credit card details.
21% of credit card fraud is the result of details being skimmed when a credit or debit card is inserted into an automatic cash dispenser or pin reader. Although these high-tech methods are becoming increasingly difficult to detect, any ATM machine or pin reader that looks suspicious (has damage around where the card is inserted, for example) should be avoided and your suspicions reported to the bank. Simply placing your hand over the keypad when typing in your pin number should shield it from prying eyes or secreted cameras.
Many people make the mistake of having one password for all their secure sites or Internet activities. Once the fraudsters know this password it is easy for them to obtain all the information they need to steal an identity. By ensuring that your passwords are secure you can make life much more difficult for opportunist fraudsters. These are all simple actions that anyone can employ to defeat the online criminal, but what about the banks? Many people worry that their details are not being kept secure by institutions and financial lenders (especially after a plethora of reports about sacks full of personal details left out casually for rubbish collection by high street banks).
Banks and credit card companies are now much more aware of the dangers of identity theft and spurred on by reports of customers details being left out for the bin-men are implementing much stricter security protocol to ensure the safety of sensitive information. They are also working closely with the Police (both nationally and internationally, as many of the fraudsters operate outside the UK) to combat credit card fraud and cyber-crime. It is an ongoing battle, but by using simple methods to protect your credit card details combined with the financial institutions initiative against fraud there is a good chance that Britain will be able to shake off the image of being an easy target for credit card fraudsters.
About the Author:
James Gladstone writes for various popular websites about financial based topics. You can find out more information on the credit card topic here.
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