Brits fear foreign card fraud

With credit card fraud escalating many Britons feel they are more likely to be hit by fraudsters at home than when travelling abroad.

15:02 15 July 2004

With credit card fraud escalating many Britons feel they are more likely to be hit by fraudsters at home than when travelling abroad.

The credit card security company CPP found that 16 per cent of those surveyed were most concerned about it occurring while at home in the UK.

A further 44 per cent believed there was a higher risk of having their purse or wallet stolen in Europe than anywhere else in the world.

CPP spokesman, Nick Jones said: "With more than 26 million Britons flying off for a sunshine break this summer, the safety of their wallets and purses should be of maximum importance."

He added: "Although France, Spain and the US are those foreign countries where most card fraud on UK-issued cards occurs, our findings show that it is essential that cardholders remain alert at home."

In the past year, fraud on lost and stolen cards has risen to a staggering 106.1 million in the UK alone.

This figure is consistently higher than losses in France, Spain and the US.

It is hoped the introduction of the new Chip and PIN system will help to curb the problem, as criminals will no longer be able to forge the signatures of their victims.