Credit Card Fraud Still Rife Despite Chip and Pin
When Chip and Pin was introduced it was hailed as the solution to all our fraud woes, no longer would fraudsters be able to go on a spending spree by faking your signature. For a while the public has been safe from thieves but a recent study carried out by the payments body Apacs shows that fraud hasn't been wiped out.
A staggering £535.2 million was lost due to credit card fraud in 2007, this will be the first time that figure has risen since 2004. With the Chip and Pin security system now a commonplace feature on the high street how is the amount lost explained?
Well one of the main reasons has been down to cards being used fraudulently abroad, some foreign countries still do not use Chip and Pin and so have been easy pickings for criminal gangs who steal cards in the UK and transfer them to their counterparts overseas.
Whilst foreign card use accounted for a large amount (39%) of the money lost there are still plenty of reasons for credit card fraud in this country too. The main cause domestically is stolen details, where the thief knows your PIN number and can use the card freely. Thieves can get your details by observing you enter your PIN at a machine and steal it later on, another one is that thieves can steal wallets or purses which stupidly have the PIN number written down also inside.
As well as this the ease of which thieves can use credit cards online has accounted for a notable rise in the past year. The majority of the details necessary for online transactions are held on the face of the card and so don't require much effort in order to steal vast amounts of money. £290.5 million has been lost through this method and many people have held back on the current craze for buying online due to the lack of security. Fortunately most credit card companies will notice any extravagant and unusual transactions and either block your card or refund the transaction, this measure varies between card providers.
All in all fraud is still a factor with credit cards and so they should be treated with an air of caution by not writing your PIN number down anywhere, ensuring you cover your hands when entering your PIN and being wary of anyone peeking over your shoulder! If you are going away on holiday then make sure you let your credit card company know, they will notice your card being used in a foreign country and possibly block it as mentioned in this article.
A staggering £535.2 million was lost due to credit card fraud in 2007, this will be the first time that figure has risen since 2004. With the Chip and Pin security system now a commonplace feature on the high street how is the amount lost explained?
Well one of the main reasons has been down to cards being used fraudulently abroad, some foreign countries still do not use Chip and Pin and so have been easy pickings for criminal gangs who steal cards in the UK and transfer them to their counterparts overseas.
Whilst foreign card use accounted for a large amount (39%) of the money lost there are still plenty of reasons for credit card fraud in this country too. The main cause domestically is stolen details, where the thief knows your PIN number and can use the card freely. Thieves can get your details by observing you enter your PIN at a machine and steal it later on, another one is that thieves can steal wallets or purses which stupidly have the PIN number written down also inside.
As well as this the ease of which thieves can use credit cards online has accounted for a notable rise in the past year. The majority of the details necessary for online transactions are held on the face of the card and so don't require much effort in order to steal vast amounts of money. £290.5 million has been lost through this method and many people have held back on the current craze for buying online due to the lack of security. Fortunately most credit card companies will notice any extravagant and unusual transactions and either block your card or refund the transaction, this measure varies between card providers.
All in all fraud is still a factor with credit cards and so they should be treated with an air of caution by not writing your PIN number down anywhere, ensuring you cover your hands when entering your PIN and being wary of anyone peeking over your shoulder! If you are going away on holiday then make sure you let your credit card company know, they will notice your card being used in a foreign country and possibly block it as mentioned in this article.