"Common sense" key to Christmas spending
24 November 2007
Britons must exercise some "common sense" when buying presents for their nearest and dearest this Christmas to avoid becoming a victim of ID fraud, UK payments association Apacs has warned.
The festive season is often a time when credit and debit card spending and cash withdrawals go into overdrive, with people buying gifts, decorations and food.
As such, consumers should always try to shield their pin number at all times as well as stay alert to card cloning scams, Apacs advised.
"We don't necessarily see more fraud happening at Christmas, but I suppose potentially as we're using our cards more during this period there is the potential for cards to be compromised more now than other times of the year," Mark Bowerman, spokesperson for Apacs said.
"The common sense messages apply more than ever in the run-up to Christmas."
According to the UK's fraud prevention service, Cifas, identity theft costs the British economy over £1.7 billion annually.
What's more, a recent survey by Experian found that one in four UK consumers have been a victim of ID fraud in the past.
