| Credit card fraud and identity theft are two very real | | | | Another technique used is known as shoulder surfing. |
| worries nowadays and if it was to happen to you, it | | | | This is when people stand very close behind you to |
| could cause you to suffer with stress and financial | | | | get your PIN and then jostle with you in order to get |
| problems. | | | | any credit cards from you. It has also been known that |
| Withdrawing money from a cash machine is | | | | some may then insert your card so that there is no |
| something people do everyday without giving it a | | | | way of you getting it back and your card can then be |
| second thought, but you could be giving your personal | | | | duplicated very quickly. |
| information away without even knowing it. | | | | You should also be aware when your card is taken |
| A spokesperson from Cambridgeshire police has said | | | | from you in order to scan it as there is a chance that it |
| that credit card fraud and card cloning is not the work | | | | may have been put into a card reader. It is always |
| of uncoordinated criminals who work on the spare of | | | | best to insert credit cards yourself into the Chip and |
| the moment, but highly organised individuals who know | | | | PIN machine and then manoeuvre it so that no-one |
| exactly what to do in order to get the information they | | | | else can see your number. |
| need. | | | | The introduction of Chip and PIN was to reduce the |
| An example of a fraud method used is with the help | | | | number of fraud cases relating to credit cards and |
| of mini cameras that are inserted into the card slot and | | | | Cambridgeshire police have said that it has definitely |
| then record the PIN numbers of people using the cash | | | | become much more secure in this country. |
| machine. | | | | However, in some areas there has been an increase |
| The first you will know of these techniques will | | | | in the number of fraud cases and Apacs, the UK |
| probably be when your bank calls you and asks if you | | | | payment association think they may know why. There |
| have been withdrawing money abroad recently. | | | | has been a significant increase in card-not-present |
| It is believed that there is probably a lesser risk to you | | | | fraud, when transactions are made over the phone, |
| using your card whilst inside a building rather than one | | | | internet or through mail order. It is therefore imperative |
| outside, however; there is no guarantee and it is | | | | that any personal bank details are destroyed, either by |
| therefore imperative that you check the machine that | | | | a shredder or by ripping them up, this way there is a |
| you are using for anything that may not look right and | | | | smaller chance of any fraud taking place with people's |
| report it immediately if you find anything. | | | | personal details. |