Tips to keep your business and customers safe

We proactively issue replacement cards when there is a risk that the details of your existing card have been compromised.

We act quickly to get a new card delivered whilst your existing card remains active with the aim of protecting your account whilst minimising inconvenience to you.

• Start using the new card straight away, with your existing PIN. We’ll cancel your old debit card shortly.
• Check your transactions on the Mobile or Bankline app, Online banking or your regular statements.
• If you see a transaction you don’t recognise, you can find more information about the retailer and how to report fraud here.

Our fraud systems are constantly looking for indications that card details have been compromised. Once detected we do everything necessary to protect your account and one of the steps is to replace your card.

There are several ways your card details could have become compromised or known to another person. A shop you have used online may have lost some of their customer details; another individual may have simply copied your details; or you may have used your card in a shop or at an ATM that had a card skimming device attached to it. These are just a few examples.

Although we can’t tell you exactly how or when your card details might have been compromised, rest assured we are committed to protecting your account from fraud.

Entering the PIN – always ask the cardholder to enter their PIN. Nobody else should do this on behalf of the customer.

Locked cards – when a customer enters an incorrect PIN three times in a row, the card is locked. Tell the customer to contact their card issuer. It’s vital you don’t swipe the transaction instead.

Not every card has Chip and PIN. When you’re presented with one of these cards, make sure you check all visual security.

• Check the card to ensure it looks genuine by following the steps on the Card Watch website.
• Use an ultraviolet lamp to spot the security mark on most cards. Some Visa Electron cards don’t have a security mark.
• Name and gender – check the title on the card with the gender of the person using it.
• Signature – check the spelling of the name on the signature strip against the spelling on the front of the card.
• Check the long number – make sure the number on the front of the card matches the card number you’ll see on the till receipt. Sometimes, when fraudsters ‘clone’ a card, the number held in the magnetic strip doesn’t match the one printed on the card.

Incorrect procedure – if a Chip and PIN card is not processed correctly, you could be liable for the transaction if it’s confirmed to be fraudulent.

Even if a card is authorised – if you've not carried out all the correct checks, there's a chance you may not receive the payment.

Remember, authorisation is only designed to show two things: that enough funds are available to cover the payment and that the card has not been reported lost, stolen or compromised in any other way.

For more information on preventing card fraud, visit the Worldpay website.

Card scheme rules don’t allow the use of different cards for one purchase.

Be particularly wary of the following signs. If something seems suspicious, always make a ‘Code 10’ authorisation call.

• Indiscriminate purchases – does it almost look as if the customer doesn’t really care what they buy? If the goods could easily be sold on, you should be suspicious.
• Easy sales – is the customer too good to be true? For example, they are not even interested in the price or details about the goods.
• Large sales – ask yourself if the sale is much higher than your usual sales. Is the customer buying lots of different items at random?

Felt pen signature – if you notice a felt pen signature on a card, it could be a sign that fraudsters are trying to hide the real signature. The card signature should always be in ballpoint pen.