Crime Prevention
Guidance on how to protect yourself from thefts and burglaries.
Credit Card & ATM (Automatic Teller Machine) Fraud
This is the fastest growing crime in this country. It is an enormous criminal industry costing the card companies millions of pounds each year.
NEVER tell anyone, for any reason, your PIN number and never let anyone use your ATM or credit card and watch out for people trying to see you type in your PIN number when you are using an ATM machine.
Watch out for people “double swiping” your card, and be particularly cautious of letting your card out of your sight. It takes under 2 seconds to clone a card.
Always use a trusted and secure site when paying for goods on the Internet, and beware of e-mails purporting to originate from banks, which ask you for account or PIN details. No bank will ever ask you for such information in an e-mail.
If your card is lost or stolen, and you suspect it may have been cloned, or you notice an unusual spending pattern on your account, contact your bank immediately. They will stop the card and issue you with another one.
When you are using a cash dispenser look out for anything which looks out of the ordinary, and be concerned if your card is swallowed by the machine with no explanation being shown on the screen. If you are in doubt use the number displayed on the machine to contact the bank.