At this time of year many of us are planning a winter break to escape the weather or the routine of Christmas. Wherever the break, it's never pleasant to discover that you may have come back to the UK, but your card is apparently still on vacation!

You may think that the use of chip and PIN has made it harder for fraud to be committed here in the UK and you would be right to assume so.  Domestic purchases you make in Britain using your chip and PIN credit or debit card are increasingly secure, so fraudsters have instead turned to stealing magnetic strip details and PIN numbers in the UK to clone cards to use abroad in countries still without chip and PIN protection.

This explains how your card can be used abroad for purchases or ATM withdrawals using your PIN, but without you being present. Although the technology was first introduced in the United Kingdom, it has since been taken up by parts of Europe, Asia, South America and North America, but is by no means universally adopted as yet.  Obviously,  as more countries roll out chip and PIN, opportunities for this type of fraud will start to fall off.

In the meanwhile, here are some simple steps you can take to prevent credit card fraud: 

• Keep your PIN safe and never divulge it to anyone else.
• Always tell your card supplier when you're going to be abroad and when you plan to return to the UK. 
• That way, if your cloned card is used, your supplier will suspect fraudulent use and contact you.
• Check your credit card and bank statements regularly and alert your bank or credit card provider if you see transactions you don'trecognise.
• If you lose your card, call your bank or credit card provider immediately so they can cancel your card and issue a new one.
• Don't allow anyone else to use your credit cards or credit card cheques.
• Keep your card in sight when in shops or restaurants – especially when staff put it through hand-held readers.
• If a cash machine looks like it's been tampered with, don't use it and report it to the bank

If you think you have been a victim of credit card fraud:

• Contact your bank using its 24-hour emergency telephone number.
• Report lost or stolen cards immediately.
• If you even just suspect your card has been used fraudulently, report it immediately.

What next?

You can recover or recoup any fraudulent expenditures or charges.  At Access Legal from Shoosmiths we have
specialist consumer advice solicitors who can advise you from the outset about the type of claim you could make
and the options that are open to you.

Please call our helpline on 03700 86 86 86 or contact us online at www.access-legal.co.uk

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