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Customers at risk in one in four bars and restaurants

Seventeen million of us Brits will be at the mercy of festive fraudsters this year, as bars and restaurants throughout the country fail to put in place proper security measures to protect their customers.

A study from life assistance company CPP reveals that 'cardholder-not-present' and counterfeit fraud could rise this month, as one in four bars and restaurants compromise their customer's card security. Nearly three quarters of patrons reported staff taking credit and debit cards out of sight, almost a half being placed within access of colleagues and over a third even placing cards in view and easy reach of other customers.

With half of the UK planning to pay for Christmas celebrations by card this year and the average card having up to £1,200 in credit or debit available, the cost of festive fraud could leave the victim considerably out of pocket.

As a result, 90 per cent of cardholders are calling for it to be made illegal for bar and restaurant staff to take cards out of consumer's sight to process payments, or run a tab. Seventy-five per cent of people have also called for establishments to sign up to a code of conduct that would ensure regulation and protect consumers' card details.

Danny Harrison, card fraud expert at CPP, offers a stark warning to cardholders this Christmas. He says, "It's at this time of year when we're out celebrating that it's natural to let our guard down. Cardholder-not-present and counterfeit fraud is a growing problem in the UK, costing £250 million in January to June - up 19 per cent from the same time last year, so customers really need to be careful with their cards and think twice before handing them over"

"Remember, it only takes seconds for fraudsters to clone or skim a card, or even to write down your card numbers. Often the first that a victim knows about fraud is when they look at their statement - not the kind of hangover that any of us want to start the New Year with."

Top tips from CPP for keeping your cards safe this festive season:

• Don't let staff take your debit/credit cards out of sight, even for a second.
• Check your receipts against your statements when you get home.
• Don't let someone else take money out on your behalf.
• Don't carry multiple debit/credit cards in a wallet.
• Don't carry debit/credit cards loose in a bag or pocket.
• Sign up to Verified by Visa and MasterCard SecureCode as it will largely put a stop to lots of unauthorised online spending.

For more information visit www.cpp.co.uk