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03 November 2005
Brits are handing fraudsters their money on a plate, according to a survey by Which?.
Criminals are getting easy pickings from credit card holders who show disregard for their own security, said the company's findings - but it reckons that banks must also lend a hand.
A worrying of 23 per cent of those with credit and debit cards have the same pin number for different accounts, the survey revealed. Additionally, 21 per cent would give out their details over the phone to any caller claiming to be from their bank or card company, and 19 per cent don't check their statements.
Which? wants banks to stop making unsolicited calls to customers so that people are not used to giving out their account numbers in so free a fashion, and has also urged them to send unactivated cards out in the post to combat the £73 million lost last year from cards stolen in transit.
Editor Malcolm Coles said: "By taking some basic precautions you can dramatically reduce your chances of becoming a victim of card fraud.
"But banks themselves are falling down on security too. They should be doing much more to cut this type of crime, rather than just passing the costs on to their customers."
Which?'s report reminded customers never to provide a password or pin to callers purporting to be from banks or the police, and to shred card receipts and other financial documents
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