Source: BBC News, Financial Fraud Action UK, 6th June 2013
Attempts to steal people’s bank cards and Pin codes while they are using cash machines have tripled over the past year, according to figures. Financial Fraud Action UK says there were 7,525 incidents in the first four months of the year, compared with 2,553 in the similar period in 2012.
Types of card fraud
| Type | What is it? | How prevalent? |
|---|---|---|
| SOURCE: FINANCIAL FRAUD ACTION UK | ||
| Card not present | The thief obtains card details, but not the card itself, and uses them to make purchases online, or by phone or mail order. | The most common type, but has been on the wane since 2008 due to measures such as secure code verification. 2011 total losses: £221m |
| Card lost/stolen | The thief steals the actual card to use in shops without chip-and-pin, or for telephone, internet or mail order purchases. | At its lowest level since 1991, largely due to chip-and-pin technology. Incidents have risen sharply this year. 2011 total losses: £50m |
| Mail non-receipt | A newly delivered card is intercepted, typically from a communal letterbox or if the recipient has moved. | Down sharply since 2004 due to chip-and-pin. 2011 total losses: £11m |
| Counterfeit | Typically done via “skimming” – a device fitted to the front of a cash machine reads your card details, allowing fraudsters to create a duplicate. | Down sharply since 2008 due to chip-and-pin, other card security features, and fraud prevention software. 2011 total losses: £36m |
| ID theft | Stolen card and other identity details are used to open or take over a bank account. | Also on the wane since 2008. 2011 total losses: £23m |