Fraud alert: keep your cards safe

£36,000 has been lost to ‘plastic card fraud’ this month. So, what is this and where is it happening?

Plastic card fraud involves the compromise of personal information from credit, debit or store cards. The personal information stolen from a card, or the theft of a card itself, can be used to commit fraud. This month £36,559 has been stolen because of the 31 reported crimes of plastic card fraud. Our analysis shows that this is the top fraud in our county right now with a third of all incidents reported in Lincoln and the rest reported from across the county.

The most common tactic we are seeing is cards being stolen from a handbag, a public place, and especially from vehicles. Stolen cards then tend to be used nearby in small and independent local shops.

How can you protect yourself? 
• Keep all your cards and financial details safe.
• Memorise your PIN and never, ever give your PIN out. Police or bank staff will never ask for this. Shield your PIN when paying or using an ATM. 
• Report any unfamiliar transactions to your card company immediately. 
• Ideally use a shedder to dispose of financial documents and cut through the magnetic strip and chip when getting rid of a card. 
• Don’t leave your card on show in your car or any place that an opportunist thief might spot it.