Card fraud abroad

Everyone wants an enjoyable, stress-free holiday, so how do you avoid card fraud when abroad?

First, let your card issuers know you're going abroad – this helps them track any suspicious activity on your plastic. Then you need to understand the risks so that you can help prevent crime and react quickly if you do fall prey to a fraudster.

The scam: extra noughts on your bill
You go for a romantic meal in a restaurant, sign the payment slip, check the items you ordered but don't bother to check the total amount. A month or two later, the bill comes in at home and you realise an extra '0' has been added. A €90 meal has cost you €900.

• How to avoid it
  Don't be embarrassed to scrutinise the bill and the credit card docket. If the staff have nothing to hide, they should be understanding.
• What to do if it happens to you
  Go through the bill item by item with the staff and ask them to cancel the first docket and give you a new one. If possible this should happen in front of you. Make these checks routine; if you don't spot the mistake until you get home, it could be too late to do anything about it.

The scam: double-charging
Tourists are particularly vulnerable to this common fraud. A vendor pretends to have made an error on the bill and asks you to sign again - so you end up paying twice.

• How to avoid it
  If you're asked to sign a second credit card docket, ask if you can pay the difference in cash instead. If that's not possible, make sure you don't sign the second docket unless the vendor agrees to give you a printed cancellation of the first.
• What to do if it happens to you
  If you sign a second docket and aren't given a printed cancellation of the first, make sure you keep both receipts to check against your statement when you get home. Unfortunately, if you notice at this stage that you've been double-charged, there's little you can do.

The scam: skimming
Potentially anyone you hand your card over to on holiday - waiters, shop and bar staff - could 'skim' it. This sophisticated trick involves swiping your card through a machine that reads your magnetic strip. This data can then be downloaded on to another card and used as if it were the real one, allowing criminals to go shopping at your expense.

• How to avoid it
  Always know where your cards are. Never leave your card behind a bar and when making a transaction, try not to let anyone take your card away. Either go with the vendor to the till or, if you're in a restaurant, ask them to bring the card imprinter to your table. Stash your receipts in a safe place and check them against your statements when you get home.
• What to do if it happens to you
  If you spot any abnormal debits, contact your card issuer immediately. As long as the card has been skimmed and not stolen - if the card is still in your possession - your issuer should cover the losses.

Cashpoint safety
When you're abroad, take the same precautions at cash machines as at home: don't allow yourself to be distracted, cover the keypad with your hand when typing in your PIN and never write your PIN down. If you suspect the machine’s card slot has been tampered with, don't use it.

Fighting back with Chip & PIN
In recent years, major advances have been made in the fight against card fraud - by far the biggest being the Chip & PIN system. This is currently rolling out across much of Europe.

So how do Chip and PIN cards work? First, the magnetic strip is replaced by a microchip that stores much more data, far more securely. The new cards are therefore harder to counterfeit or skim.

Second, you key your four-digit PIN into a secured PIN pad instead of signing a paper docket. This makes the card much more difficult to use if it falls into the wrong hands.

Find out more
Lost & stolen cards - find the numbers
Get an online discount on travel insurance
Order commission-free foreign currency
Travel insurance tips

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