The 10 biggest fraud hotspots in Britain

A new study has revealed the worst UK towns for card fraud. John Fitzsimons looks at where you should be most careful - and how to protect yourself.

The next time you are out and about in Cardiff, you might want to be a little careful using your plastic friends - according to a new study, it is officially the worst place in the UK for card fraud.

The annual Card Fraud Index from CPP found card crime in the Welsh capital had jumped by 17% in the past two years. A staggering 37% of people in Cardiff have fallen victim to card crime in the past.

Of course it's not just Cardiff - London is almost as bad, with 35% of people having been defrauded, followed by Norwich (30%), Southampton (28%) and Leeds (27%).

Here's the top ten cities where card fraud is at its worst:

Worst 10 UK cities for card fraud

But even if you don't head into one of these towns and cities, you are unlikely to be safe. Card fraud has jumped by more than 6% over the past two years - that's an extra three million victims - with more than a quarter of UK adults having been defrauded.

And it's not like the sums involved are minimal - the average amount victims are defrauded is £590, with one in six victims losing out on more than £1,000.

Thankfully there are things you can do to protect yourself from card fraud.

1. Stick to the essentials

When you're out and about, you are basically a walking target for fraudsters. If they do manage to separate you and your wallet or purse, you can at least limit how many credit and debit cards they get their hands on - only ever carry around the cards you are likely to need.

For example, if you have taken out a credit card because it has a long 0% interest period for balance transfers, it's unlikely you need to carry it around in your wallet everyday. Doing so is just asking for trouble.

2. Keep your cards in sight

When you pay for something with either your debit or credit card, try to make sure that the shop assistant does not take the card out of sight, as there is a risk it may be cloned.

3. Check your credit report!

Monitoring your credit report is a great tool in your armour against fraudsters. You can check the report for anything that looks a bit suspicious, and get notified by either text message or email when anything changes, or even if somebody looks at your record.

You can get a free trial from Experian with lovemoney.com. You'll have to cancel the trial at the end of the month or you will start getting changed, though to be honest I've maintained my own subscription for a couple of years now simply because I like to keep on top of any changes to my records.

4. Destroy your PIN!

It should surely go without saying that having your PIN written down in any form is a daft idea. Find a way to remember it!

You should also never share your PIN with anyone - according to the CPP a staggering one in eight people in the UK have allowed other people to take money out of their account!

5. Be safe at cash machines

I know there have been a few occasions when the person behind me at the ATM has been just a little too close for comfort. If you ever feel threatened, or believe someone is acting suspiciously, cancel the transaction and walk away.

6. Keep your details safe!

I rarely go a week without some letter or another from HSBC. If you are the sort of person who hordes their account statements, make sure they are kept in a very safe place.

Otherwise, try to destroy all documents featuring your personal and account details which will help fraudsters to steal your identity.

7. Stay sensible overseas

The need to be vigilant with your credit cards is just as important when you head off on holiday.

As well as following all of the usual tips, you should also be sure to have your card company's 24 hour contact phone number, while another good move is to make sure your credit card provider has completely up to date records for you.

8. Be on your guard, online

There are loads of things you need to do to protect yourself from card fraud online, though thankfully they are all pretty simple.

Firstly, it helps to have some decent anti-virus software installed to give you some protection from viruses and hackers. You might also want to set up a firewall.

In addition, always be very careful about opening emails from unknown sources, particularly if they claim to be from a bank - most of the time they will be trying to trick you into sharing your account details with them.

And when shopping online, always look for the padlock symbol in the address bar of any payment page, as that's always a great signal that the site is secure.

We've also put together a terrific guide on what to do to protect yourself if you are a regular user of online banking, which I'd recommend having a read of.

So there you have it. Eight simple ways to protect yourself from falling victim to credit card fraudsters, whether you live in a fraud hotspot or not. And if you'd like further advice on fraud, check out the Action Fraud website.

Stay vigilant, and you should be fine.

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