Holidaymakers 'not careful enough with their cards'

People on their holidays are not taking enough care to ensure they do not become victims of credit card fraud, it has been claimed.

Kerry D'Souza of card security support firm CPP said that credit card fraud has increased in foreign countries as opposed to in the UK because they do not have a chip and pin system.

"People can still sometimes be a bit complacent about how they use their cards and what they do with their cards.

"You're on holiday, you're relaxed and you're not necessarily thinking about what's going out of your bank account," she commented.

Ms D'Souza added that many people do not realise they have become victims of fraud until they get home and check their bank statements and accounts.

Recent research from CPP found that instances of overseas card crime rose by 77 per cent between 2006 and 2007,

France, Spain and Italy were found to be the countries where this was most likely to occur.

Skimming is one way in which credit card information used in an otherwise legitimate transaction can be obtained.

Common scenarios for skimming are restaurants or bars where the skimmer has possession of the victim's credit card out of their immediate view.

The skimmer will typically use a small keypad to unobtrusively transcribe the three or four digit card security code which is not present on the magnetic strip.