Dont let identity thieves steal Christmas

25 Nov 08

Actimize is telling consumers that they need to learn how to protect themselves from identity theft before it is too late.

Monday December 8 is expected to be the biggest UK online shopping day, Actimize says. And recent National Retail Federation research claims the primary payment method is switching from credit to cash and debit.

Credit and Debit protection are vastly different, with notably more consumer liability on debit accounts. Consumers can be liable for fraud losses on their debit accounts depending on how quickly they notice missing funds, not to mention any overdraft fees that are incurred in the process.

Actimize says criminal gangs target all types of POS and ATM machines to skim credit and debit information with the intent to duplicate cards.

Varying risk
“Did you know that the risk of identity theft varies depending on the type of transaction and whether you choose to use credit, debit with PIN or debit with signature?” the company asks.

And, it says, you are not any safer shopping online.

“Recent research predicts that December 8 will be the worst day of the year for computer attacks, and experience shows that ATMs can be as vulnerable as point of sale transactions.”

Actimize's Paul Henninger said: "There are a number of simple ways in which consumers can protect themselves from fraudulent activity. Avoid using non-bank ATM machines at petrol stations for example, try to use credit cards instead of debit cards for large purchases both online and over the counter, and when shopping online, always make sure you are buying from a reputable, secure website."

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