TAKE action straight away if you think you’re the victim of card fraud.

That’s the advice from a Dorset Citizens Advice Bureau boss after a survey revealed that half of Britons are worried about becoming victims of the practice.

Research Now questioned 4,200 in 14 countries, including the UK, and also found that many people were failing to take |precautions to protect themselves from fraud.

Of those questioned, 48 per cent said they were worried about losing money as a result of |having their card stolen or cloned, with 59 per cent saying they thought the crime was on the increase, according to payment systems group ACI Worldwide.

Nearly two thirds stated they were more worried about being the victim of fraud due to the current tough economic climate, with 36 per cent saying they now had less money and could not afford to lose any.

But – alarmingly – despite this, nine per cent of people interviewed admitted that they kept their PIN number with their credit or debit card, making it easy for someone to use their card if it was lost or stolen.

Richard Bristow, chief |executive of Poole Citizens Advice Bureau, said: “Where we see accusations of fraud taking place tends to be where a relationship has broken down and the other partner has taken a card or possibly allegedly |forged signatures to obtain credit.

“General guidelines that we would give to somebody if they believe they’ve been the victim of identity theft is to speak immediately with the lender.

“Most banks have a team of people who look at identity theft.”

Andy Morris, risk business solutions consultant at ACI Worldwide, added: “When it comes to fraud, prevention is obviously better than a cure. Banks need to continue to inform consumers about how they can protect themselves against fraud.”