The amount of money lost due to fraud and malpractice by credit card companies fell last year by 7% to £341m - its lowest level for 11 years.
Mandy Jackson, of the UK Cards Association, said:
"This is a disaster for our members. Customers have, frankly, been absolute bastards, refusing to take up unsolicited balance transfers offers, rejecting increased credit limits and paying off existing debts.”
However, the most common losses last year were due to customers taking heed of advice from consumer groups about looking after their personal and financial details when receiving unsolicited e-mails and telephone calls from card debt collection departments.
Carol Bliss, 32 year old single mother of five from Walsall, who didn’t want to be identified, is one such customer.
“I was constantly being hounded for payments. They would call in the middle of the night demanding cash. Fortunately most of the time I was down the club but it did upset my little Courtney who I left in charge.”
Courtney, aged 8, added
“I hated it, these men would call and say that they would come round to kill my dog if mommy didn’t pay up. He said that if we didn’t have the money then I should go to granny’s and steal some or go on the game. But I don’t need to go on out to go on a game, mommy bought us an Xbox and Playstation last week on the magic plastic card.”
Ms Bliss continued “Now our Courtney just tells them to fuck off and hangs up”
DCI Paul Bernard, who leads the police cheque and plastic crime unit, said
“We’re not interested”
These are challenging times for the companies. Mandy Jackson said “After all the help we’ve given this low life scum to run up unimaginable and unsustainable debts over the years, it’s outrageous.”