Home Office urges care when using cashpoints

Wednesday, 10 November 2004 12:00 AM

The Home Office is advising people to use cash machines during the day and where possible to use those inside banks.

Its advice follows figures from the Association for Payment Clearing Services showing that cash machine fraud has leapt 85 per cent in the last year, at a cost of £61 million.

The industry has also launched its own top tips for avoiding cash machine fraud.

According to APACS the principal driver of this massive increase in card fraud is the use of skimming devices and miniature cameras, which record card details and cardholders' pin numbers respectively.

More crude techniques include looking over the shoulder of a customer while they use a machine and then stealing the person's card; and a card trapping device that jams cards in the cashpoint, making the customer believe their card has been swallowed.

Consumers are being urged to continue using cards and cashpoints, but to act more cautiously.

A Home Office spokesman told politics.co.uk: "If you need to use cash machines, do so during the day and use machines inside banks if you can. If not, choose ones on a busy street with good lighting.

"Cover the keyboard with your free hand so that no-one can see the number you enter. If someone starts distracting you or stands close by, cancel the transaction and walk away. If you have withdrawn any cash, put it away immediately."

Sandra Quinn, director of corporate communications for APACS, said: "We all need to be more vigilant when we use our cards. By following our top ten tips cardholders will minimise their chances of falling victim to cash machine crime."

But Ms Quinn pointed out that the vast majority of card use is safe and, with a little caution, there is no reason to fear cashpoints.

"Remember, it is much safer to carry a card around than keep a lot of cash in your wallet and if you are a victim of card fraud you will not suffer any financial losses as long as you haven't acted negligently."

APACS's top ten safety tips are available at: http://www.cardwatch.org.uk/

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