24 Mar 2009

Companies 'not becoming wise' to fraud threats

Firms are not becoming wise to the threat of fraud, despite recent figures showing a rise in data theft, a specialist claims.

Recent figures released by UK payments association Apacs reveal card fraud losses now total £609 million a year, but these statistics are not prompting firms to become more aware of threats, says Simon Crisp, director at ShopSafe.co.uk.

"People are naturally trusting. If something arrives in your inbox people are very trusting, because they believe their email address is personal," he comments.

Mr Crisp adds that fraudsters are becoming smarter, which should be regarded as "a great concern".

He recommends that employees should refrain from giving out information such as usernames and passwords, even to a source that seems reliable.

One of the main problems facing the industry is the way in which companies fail to protect customer information, so educating staff to be sceptical about who they trust is a key way in which security can be bolstered, the specialist concludes.