Credit card fraud victim speaks out

6:30pm Wednesday 8th October 2008

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A MUM-OF-THREE said today a Bucks Free Press report made her realise she had been the victim of a credit card fraud.

Her card was frozen after someone tried to withdraw money from her account in India - which happened after she shopped at the Asda store in Holmers Farm Way, Cressex, where “fraudulent activity on credit or debit cards” had been reported.

Last week the Bucks Free Press reported several customers had lost money from their accounts after using credit or debit cards at the store.

The shopper, who asked to be identified only be her first name, Saliha, would have lost around £100 if the withdrawals had successfully been made.

She said: “It was only when I read the article in the Bucks Free Press that I thought ‘maybe it’s got something to do with this’.”

The experience has made Saliha, from Totteridge, think more carefully about using her card.

She said: “It’s so easy to get away with card fraud, especially where chip and pin doesn’t work and you have to sign for it. It’s not totally foolproof.

“They had been stealthy and taken out small amounts so I wouldn’t notice.

“I’m more careful of where I go and how I use it. I use my cashline card to withdraw a larger amount of cash than I would normally because it saves me from using my card.”

The 34-year-old said she would continue to use Asda but would in future use cash instead of her card.

She added: “It’s made me think about certain areas where I try not to use it. At one store the cashier was blatantly looking at what I was doing - as soon as I left I went and changed my pin number.

“There’s a lot of people who have access to our details. When you speak to customer services it’s never the same person.

“We didn’t lose any cash this time but the fraudsters are always about ten steps ahead.”

An Asda spokesman said an investigation was still ongoing, but it was not known how many customers had been affected.

Several chip and pin machines were removed from the store as part of the investigation.

A statement from the supermarket last week said: “Customers can be assured that we are taking all the necessary steps to ensure the continued safety and security of customer data.”