WCYT

NEW figures from the UK Cards Association show growing levels of traditional phone scams targeting the over-60s. This year more than £750,000 has been lost to phone-scamming fraud, with criminals responsible for stealing an average of £10,000 per incident.

Typical phone scams involve unsuspecting cardholders being duped into handing over their debit or credit card details and revealing their PIN, by a fraudster pretending to be from their bank, card company or the police.

Which magazine fraud expert Melanie Green said: 'If you realise that you may have disclosed your security details, contact your bank immediately. The most you should have to pay if money is taken from your bank account without your authority is £50. But if the bank can prove you have been grossly negligent you may be liable for the whole amount.'

The news comes following recent figures in October showing that while levels of online banking fraud fell by 32% between 2010 and 2011, phone banking fraud losses actually rose by 48% during the same period. In addition, cheque fraud losses rose by 17% between 2010 and 2011, and came to £16.4 million in the first half of this year.

Last month, a Which? investigation also uncovered widely varying levels of online security among UK banks. Nationwide was found to have the best website on test, with good login security and logout performance and an overall score of 69%. If you realise that you may have disclosed your security details, contact your bank immediately.

The phone scams figures are not the only one's causing concern. lUK consumers are too complacent about the personal and sensitive data they post online and consequently are increasingly at risk of identity theft, according to the results of a recent survey.

Earlier this year, internet security software vendor BullGuard asked 2,000 UK adults about the personal and sensitive data they stored on social networking sites, forums, groups and other interactive services.

Almost half of those polled (42%) said they’d posted their date of birth on their social networking profiles. A further 18% also admitted to including their telephone numbers. In addition, 14% allowed online banking websites to do the same with their bank details.

Over a third of the respondents who had Facebook and Twitter accounts said they'd updated their profiles to publicise the fact that they were away for the weekend or were going on holiday.

WCYT

A community interest company keeping vulnerable residents in Essex safe from rogue tradesmen and doorstep conmen

www.whocanyoutrust.org.uk

Elderly ignoring phone security

Useful Links