Crack squad helping to reduce card fraud

The Dedicated Cheque and Plastic Crime Unit (DCPCU) said its work targeting organised fraud gangs prevented losses totalling 24.5m

during 2009.

It said these savings contributed to a 28 per cent drop in annual card fraud losses during the year, with the figure falling to 440.3m.

The bank-sponsored police squad estimates it has prevented 340m of card and cheque fraud since it was set up eight years ago, the equivalent of 3.5m every month.

The unit is made up of 20 officers seconded from the Metropolitan and City of London forces, who work alongside a team of banking industry fraud investigators.

It recovered 9,700 counterfeit cards and 29,300 compromised card numbers during 2009, leading to a total of 54,000 recovered counterfeit cards and 319,000 compromised card numbers since it was launched.

It has also secured more than 270 convictions for fraud in the past eight years.

Detective Chief Inspector John Osibote, who leads the DCPCU, said: "With fraud loss savings estimated at 3.5m per month, the unit has been instrumental in helping drive down card fraud.

"We want to send out a loud and clear message to the organised criminal gangs who are behind the lion's share of fraud on UK cards that we can, and will, track them down."

n One in 10 people are putting themselves at risk of credit or debit card fraud by writing down their Pin or sharing it with someone, a survey showed.

Consumer group Which? said an estimated four million debit card holders and three million credit and charge card holders were putting themselves at an increased risk of having their account emptied by criminals through disclosing their Pin.

Most worryingly, a third of people who admitted they had written down their Pin said they kept it in their wallet or handbag.

A further 36 per cent had it written down somewhere at home, while 9 per cent had made a note of it in their office.

The research found that 86 per cent of people thought they would have any money they lost refunded if they were the victim of credit or debit card crime.

But while banks and card providers will not automatically refuse to make a payout if a card is stolen and the Pin is used, they may not pay compensation if they can prove that the holder had not kept details of their Pin secure.

Martyn Saville, Which? credit card expert, said: "The results show that too many consumers are putting their finances in jeopardy by not taking simple precautions.

"Writing down your Pin is like leaving your door open when you leave the house."

The UK Cards Association advises people never to write down their Pin and keep it with their card, as this leaves them vulnerable to having their account emptied if their wallet or handbag is stolen.

It adds that there is no reason why anyone should have a Pin that they cannot remember, as it can be changed to something more memorable at most cash machines.