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Bank fraud on the rise
Bank account fraud in the UK rose almost 10 per cent last year, according to the latest industry figures.
CIFAS, the UK's fraud prevention service, said that over 80,000 cases of bank account fraud took place in 2009, up from 73,000 the previous year. Identity fraud also increased by 32 per cent over the same period.
In its 'Fraudscape' report the organisation also points out that the 9.75 per cent increase in bank account fraud almost perfectly mirrors a 9.98 per cent year-on-year decline in plastic card fraud.
Another of the report's findings is that much of this fraud is taking place online Over 74 per cent of identity frauds were committed via the internet in 2009, as were 76 per cent of criminal bank account takeovers.
Customers concerned about fraud are being advised to check their bank statements and credit card bills regularly and destroying personal documents when no longer needed. Anything suspicious should be reported immediately.
Tags: bank account, bank fraud