Protecting yourself against fraud

02 October 2012 16:55:18

Worried about the rise in credit card fraud?

You may have heard the news that credit and debit card fraud has skyrocketed in the first six months of 2012, with a rise of nine per cent on the same period last year, as revealed by the UK Cards Association (UKCA).

Sure, it's a scary figure. But don't grab the scissors and start cutting up every piece of plastic in your wallet/purse just yet. It's really not worth it. Think of all the reward points you'd lose out on, for example, not to mention the protection credit cards offer over the internet.

Protecting yourself
There are plenty of ways to make sure you experience the benefits of using plastic while shielding yourself from card-related fraud. The UKCA spoke to detective chief inspector David Carter, of the Dedicated Cheque and Plastic Crime Unit, and found that simple methods were fuelling the increase.

"Given this rise in old-fashioned crimes - criminals using distraction techniques and duping people into disclosing their passwords and online banking details - we are urging everyone to be on their guard and work with us to help stop this criminal activity," Mr Carter said.

As a result, it's worth keeping an eye out for anyone acting suspicious when you're doing the week's shopping. But be aware that you could also be attacked in the home as well – never disclose your personal details to someone on the other end of the phone or email, even if they claim to be from your bank and seem very genuine.

The advanced fraud
Just because the simplistic forms of fraud are on the rise doesn't mean that you should let your guard down on the more advanced. If you buy online regularly, ensure that your antivirus software is up to date and that you take sensible precautions, such as changing your passwords regularly.

Remember that it's not worth panicking when a rise in fraud is revealed. Cards are far too useful to give up entirely, after all. But make sure you're sensible about your personal information and you should find it easy to avoid becoming a statistic.

‹ Back

All news articles

Product Offers
Please ensure that you fully read the terms & conditions of any product or policy before you decide to proceed and are fully aware of the total costs and the benefits and any exclusions or limitations applicable to the product or plan.

Please note that the product links will take you direct to the Issuer or Insurer's site direct and we cannot be held responsible for the information which they provide within their own sites. On some comparison tables we use a star rating which rates products by visitor popularity.