Credit card fraud against Brits continues to grow

There has been a great deal of concern over the levels of credit card fraud in the UK over the years, and many people have become victim to this growing form of financial fraud.

However, recent figures suggest that credit card fraud against Brits is also growing abroad, where tourists are falling victim to this type of crime as a result of weaker payment systems that are in place in many destinations that are popular amongst British holidaymakers.

Amongst the countries where credit card fraud against Brits is rife are Spain and France, both destinations that are hugely popular with UK tourists. Apacs recently released figures that indicated the levels of credit card crime against Brits had rocketed by nearly 45 percent last year, equating to a staggering £118 million.

One Barclaycard customer explained how her boyfriend had to help her out after thieves took her credit card and spent over three thousand pounds in the space of twenty-four hours. It took two months for Barclays to refund the money, and in addition to spoiling her holiday and causing stress the incident also caused her financial difficulties because of the amount of time it took to get it sorted.

Levels of credit card fraud in countries where there is no chip and pin technology in use is also high. One official stated: 'In countries where chip and Pin is not widely available, crooks have ample opportunity to skim cards and commit fraud.'

Other officials state that tourists often make it too easy for fraudsters.

One official from Equifax stated: 'When abroad, people usually carry their passport, driving licence, credit cards and other documents, all of which are key to stealing identity. Holidaymakers are also more relaxed, providing an ideal opportunity for fraudsters.'

Tom Smith
3rd July 2007