MyCallcredit warns Christmas revellers to protect their ID

With debit and credit card spending set for a year on year rise of 9.9 per cent (1) during December credit report service MyCallcredit is warning people to look after their plastic this Christmas.

MyCallcredit head of consumer services Mark Ward says:

"Spending on debit and credit cards is set to be nearly £30bn (1) in December. This gives card fraudsters millions of opportunities to steal the IDs of unsuspecting shoppers and revellers.

"And while Christmas is a time for giving there's no excuse for making life easy for criminals, people need to take care and follow our advice for keeping their finances safe during the festive period."

• Budget for your nights out and go out without your plastic to avoid overspending - it's difficult to keep tabs on your card in a crowded bar.
• Shield your pin number when making purchases or cash withdrawals.
• Don't use any cash machine which looks unusual or has a protruding card insertion point.
• Check your receipts and don't throw any away which display the whole of your card number without ripping or shredding.
• Keep an eye on your bank account and credit card statements, it's easy to miss £50 here or there at this time of year.
• Don't respond to unsolicited emails or phone calls asking for personal details.
• Treat yourself to a shredder and make sure you shred any financial documents before throwing them away.
• Check your credit file at mycallcredit.co.uk and cancel any unwanted credit facilities.

Editors Notes

1. APACS figures estimate the total plastic spend in December will be £28.8bn, a 9.9 per cent increase on last year.