Exclusive: Surge in card scams (From Your Local Guardian)

Exclusive: Surge in card scams

5:38pm Thursday 31st July 2008 in

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Specialist police fraud busters are investigating an upsurge in credit card fraud in West Norwood.

Dozens of residents have become victims of credit card fraud in the past week, sparking fears cards are being copied in the area.

The investigation team will check if equipment has been installed in cash machines, or if card readers may have been tampered with in shops and supermarkets.

Some residents believe the clone must have taken place with a card reader because they were defrauded despite not using ATMs in the area.

The increase has meant thousands of pounds have been taken from residents’ accounts in the past week.

Withdrawals have occurred a number of times in Benin.

Lambeth Police could not confirm at this point if there had definitely been an increase in fraud in the area, nor could its investigating partner UK payments agency APACS.

A police spokesman warned residents not to panic.

She said: “If you believe you have been a victim of this type of crime then we ask you to thoroughly check your bank statement.”

An APACS spokesman said people should contact their banks straight away and innocent victims would be fully reimbursed.

He said the type of fraud residents of West Norwood suffered was through the magnetic strip on cards being copied.

These are then replicated on another card and used in countries which do not have the same chip and PIN security measures as the UK.

He said typically cards were copied with equipment installed at cash machines but a recent upsurge in fraud at petrol stations and supermarkets had occurred through the installation of bogus equipment.

He said sometimes staff were responsible but also fraudsters posed as bank maintenance staff and installed equipment without shops noticing.