Credit cards can provide ‘additional protection’ against online fraud

Paying for goods worth over £100 with a credit card can provide consumers with additional protection against potential ID fraud say industry experts.

A spokesperson for Consumer Direct said: “They [consumers] can get additional protection under section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act, which makes credit card companies jointly and equally liable. It gives you extra consumer protection.”

He also advised consumers to look out for a padlock symbol on a webpage or the ‘https’ in the website title to show that the site is secure.

Customers should also maintain their security software to afford themselves more online protection and check their bank and credit card statements regularly.

In a recent review of 77 websites of financial firms the Financial Services Authority (FSA) found that a quarter of them “failed to present information in a fair, clear and not misleading way”.

The Office of Fair Trading said earlier this year that the UK internet shopping market is estimated to be worth over £21.4 billion.

Tags: security software, credit, security, credit card statements, Consumer Direct