Credit card users warned about fraud

Credit card users who shop online have been advised that prevention is better than cure when it comes to avoiding internet fraud and identity theft.

According to a spokesman for credit reference agency Equifax, people should always make sure they are on a secure site when making online payments with credit cards.

He said: "If you don't like the look of the site or it looks a bit dodgy then don't go any further. Ring them up and confirm and double check."

People who make regular payments online, he added, expose themselves to a greater risk of fraud and therefore need to keep track of credit card statements to ensure nothing suspicious is occurring to their finances.

A recent study performed by anti-computer virus software company Symantec, showed that 31 per cent of the goods and services advertised on the underground economy by internet fraudsters were credit card details.

Stolen credit card numbers, according to the research, can fetch between £0.06 and £16.56, but can make criminals up to £2,649 in one transaction.