Germany in 'credit card recall'

The credit card recall is thought to be the largest in Europe

More than 100,000 German credit cards are being replaced after fears that personal data has been stolen, German press reports say.

The reports say that the Volks- and Raiffeisenbank group alone is recalling 60,000 cards.

Fraudsters are thought to have stolen data on German customers from a service provider in Spain. There have been no actual reports of fraud.

The credit card recall is said to be the largest in Europe.

A spokesperson for the co-operative banking group, the BVR, is quoted as saying the recalls are being carried out just to be on the safe side.

There is particular concern for Germans who have used their cards in Spain recently.

The banks are acting on a warning from Visa and Mastercard.

In a statement, Visa Europe confirmed that "it is aware of a possible card data security issue in Spain. No details are yet confirmed, but we do not believe that the issue is specific to Visa."

A spokesperson stressed that cardholders who were innocent victims of fraud would get their money back, subject to the terms and conditions of their bank.