Security slip-up

Card fraud is growing

A shop or bank making checks to prevent fraudulent use of your credit card is one thing.

But broadcasting your personal details in the process is another matter.

That's the experience one Working Lunch viewer found himself involved in.

Before Christmas, John Bailey's wife had used her NatWest credit card in several shops in Surrey, but then it was refused.

Verified

The shop assistant duly contacted the bank to get the card verified.

"NatWest then asked one or two general questions via the shop assistant," explains John.

John Bailey: Unhappy with procedure

"They then asked for mother's maiden name, date of birth and all the security information while there was a queue of people there.

"So the shop assistant and other people in the store became aware of my wife's security details."

NatWest phoned John while his wife was waiting in the queue and asked her to ring them again when she got home.

Genuine

The bank told Working Lunch: "We may want to speak direct with customers to confirm the expenditure on the card is genuine.

"Another approach may be to ask the shop assistant to ring our authorisation centre."

Quizzing people in public for their security details is inappropriate and highly risky

John Bailey

But John feels the way this incident was handled does not inspire confidence.

"Quizzing people in public for their security details is inappropriate and highly risky," he says.

John thinks it would have been better to conduct the conversation with the bank in a reasonably secluded area.

His story is just one of those passed on to Working Lunch by viewers.

Fraud involving credit card costs about £1m every day, so any steps to prevent it are welcome.

But neither shops nor banks will want those measures to discourage people from spending their money in the first place.