19% of UK Citizens hit by Credit Card Fraud

[V Reddy]

I have been going through some of the recent articles about UK being the global hotspot for Credit Card fraud!! Since we have many members from the UK in this forum, just wanted to know the opinion of you guys. Have any of you been affected by it so far.

Also does the Police take this issue seriously because from what I have read, its all been negative which is encouraging the situation to escalate even more.

Victims of credit card fraud have been told not to bother reporting the crime to police.

UK Fraud Activity

Based on an analysis of over 30 million ‘good’ and ‘bad’ card transactions over the past six months (January to June 2008), the findings focus on fraudulent activity by postcode. In the South East of London, for example, postcodes SE28, SE18, SE15, SE6 and SE17 house the worst offenders.

Fraudsters use a variety of methods to steal an identity when they commit fraud:

“They work in bars where the pay’s rubbish and they get treated like idiots by the boss and the customers so its like Christmas for them when I come along and offer them a way to make shed loads of cash without any risk”
George, Fraudster #B14, unconvicted

“Chat rooms give me a way to spot potential victims. It takes a while to build up trust but that’s ok, its worth the effort in the end. As time goes on, people give out more and more stuff…I mean, to start with, I can be a man or a woman online. I use gender-free usernames like ‘Filmlover34’ so I can be whoever I need to be.”
Michael, Fraudster #E5, unconvicted

Fraudsters probe for the point of least defence and test to see which sites will let them get away with card fraud

“You don’t always get lucky first, second or third time. As long as there’s a good supply of card details and rubbish websites, sooner or later you’re going to get a result. That makes the waiting more than worth it.”
Gavin, Fraudster #B17, convicted

“I carded $800 per order, but I try a first order of $100 or $150”
Gavin, Fraudster #B17, convicted

Some fraudsters are brazen enough to use their own address to take delivery of goods whilst other fraudsters take more care….

“I never stayed more than six months. Long enough to use and abuse the address and the credit of whoever lived there before me.”
John, Fraudster #D8, convicted

“I park outside the house next door and either tinker with the engine or give it a wash. When the van turns up and the courier knocks at the door, I shout over “they’re out mate” and tell him that they work all day then I offer to take the parcel. It’s never failed yet. It means quite a bit of waiting round sometimes plus you have to move about a bit so that the couriers don’t recognise you but that’s a small price to pay.”
Jonathan, Fraudster #C5

Fraudsters run fraud on a commercial scale and resell the goods on the black market

“The woman where I get the cards sells stuff on for me too but she takes a pretty big cut so I tend to use the others if I can.”
Ben, Fraudster #C16, unconvicted

“People tell me what they want and I get it kiting the card. I charge between half and a third of the cost price.”
Mary, Fraudster #D1, unconvicted


Director of 192business.com, David Pope, adds: "“Until Government devotes more resource for each and every police force to tackle card fraud and gives each and every police force targets for card fraud arrests and prosecutions, then fraudsters will see card fraud as easy pickings. In fact, several (ex) fraudsters that I’ve met still perceive little risk in committing card fraud,”

[Langeveldt]

I'm a UK citizen, but have only been affected by Credit Card fraud in South Africa where someone used a cloning machine to wipe R15,000 (GBP 1,000) from my credit card.. Which was linked to a British account.. HSBC were fantastic about it and informed me about it and took care of everything...

I no longer use a credit card.. Storing money under the mattress is the safest bet IMO.. Yeah I live at 42 ***** Road, *********, Port Elizabeth

[Indipper]

Credit cards are for dopes. So are mattresses. I have a pot of gold coins buried in my back yard.

[andmark]

Originally Posted by Indipper

Credit cards are for dopes. So are mattresses. I have a pot of gold coins buried in my back yard.

I wish I did, then again so does everyone.

I won't use credit cards in the future. Mainly because 19% of British people have had fraud.

[cpr]

Not using credit cards mainly because the figure is 19% purely because the rest have financially ****ed themselves before the fraudsters could get there