24 November 2009 - 15:24

Author: Judith Subban

The SA Banking Risk Information Centre, Sabric, says KZN - along with Gauteng and the Western Cape - accounted for 89-percent of the total card fraud in the country from July last year to June this year.

It's been speaking at a media briefing in Umhlanga.

Sabric CEO Kalyani Pillay says credit card fraud alone cost KZN some R41-million.

She says counterfeit card fraud has been fingered as the main form of fraud here. It's increased by 17-percent.

Pillay says Durban, 'Maritzburg, Westville, Pinetown and Chatsworth have become hotspots where "skimming" devices are being used.

"Card skimming is one of the more commonly-used modus operandi to actually copy the client's bank information from the card's mags strip. It is definitely the major contributor to counter fate card reproduction in South Africa. Mostly hand held card skimmers are used at ATMs,retail outlets as well as in places of entertainment," she says.

Pillay says though that overall, card fraud in KZN has decreased by 21.5 percent from last July to June this year.

Countrywide, the rate at which card fraud occurs has also slowed.

Credit card fraud for 2009 increased by five percent - although year-on-year, it's down.