26 August 2008
Holidaymakers are often "complacent" when using their credit cards abroad and do not take enough care to protect themselves against fraud, it has been suggested. According to Kerry D'Souza from the card security specialists CPP, the lack of Chip and PIN technology in other countries means tourists have to be especially careful. "You're on holiday, you're relaxed and you're not necessarily thinking about what's going out of your bank account. It's not until you get home and you have a look at your bank statement that you realise that more has come out than you expected," she said. Her comments follow research from CPP which reveals that over a third of all credit card fraud offences committed against UK citizens occur overseas. Ms D'Souza said that because of the increased risk, credit card customers travelling abroad may benefit from taking out card protection insurance. And she advised tourists to tell their bank they are going on holiday so that any unusual activity on their account can be monitored.