Credit Card Fraud On The Rise in Tourist Destinations

Summer is usually the time that people take a well needed vacation, however one of the main things to consider when going abroad is safeguarding yourself against credit card fraud. Recent years have seen a major increase in card fraud in major tourist destinations such as Europe and Africa.

A recent survey taken by APACS has found that there has been a 25 per cent increase in credit card fraud in the past two years. Making it vital for tourists to be extra cautious when travelling abroad. In the past 3 years more than a billion pounds has been stolen via credit fraud and identity theft.

The independent payment fraud preventions company Retail Decisions (ReD) stated that there are measures that tourists can take to prevent themselves from falling victim to credit card fraud abroad. The measures that ReD outlined are as follows:

• Let your card company know that you intend to travel abroad and make them aware of the destination you will be travelling to.
• Make copies of all important information such as passports, travel plans, front and back of credit cards etc., and leave with someone trust.
• Be cautious when using cash machines, as criminals use this as an opportunity to capture you pin number.
• Use a safety deposit box when you get to your hotel to keep important documents safe.
• Do not leave your card lying around in public places
• Lastly if you suspect your card has been used without your authority contact your card provider straight away without delay.

These are just some of the things you can do to safeguard yourself if you are going abroad.

Credit card fraud has been reduced in recent years due to the introduction of chip and pin, but with new technology comes new ways of getting around the system. Criminal gangs around the globe have been using various methods to gain access to credit card pin numbers. Methods include installing a specially made device in cash machines. This device will then capture your card and record the pin number at the same time. Therefore allowing the criminals to either take your money on the spot or use the information to create a clone card, that can be used anywhere in the world. Another method criminals use is attaching a small camera to chip and pin devices in petrol stations and various other shops. This essentially enables them to record all the customers card information, majority of the time these cards are cloned and used abroad. Or they are used to purchase items online.

The increase in credit card fraud abroad comes as a result of the introduction of chip and pin, as criminals are finding it more and more difficult to gain access to unsuspecting victims card details, they are using other ways of committing fraud. They do this by preying on vulnerable individuals who find themselves in unfamiliar surroundings in a foreign country.

Therefore one of the most important things to think about when going abroad is to consider how to protect yourself from falling victim to credit card fraud.