Banks have created a sneaky new crimewave

Ever since these came in I have been lucky enough to have a “normal” card without the new technology. My new card came in this week and …. guess what – it will be replaced whether the bank likes it or not!

I do NOT agree with this assumption that we are ALL happy to receive contactless cards…

The high street local shops are having a really bad time being able to pay for their position in the street. Every week we walk to town and the number of empty stores is growing

PETER HITCHENS

27 December 2015 12:51 AM>

Now we find that contactless credit and debit cards can still be used by thieves long after they have been reported stolen. It’s up to us to scan our statements to check.

When these sneaky things first came in, I warned (to the usual jeers) that they were risky.

Banks have created a sneaky new crimewave

I tried to refuse to have any – but while my bank rather grudgingly agreed to issue me a non-contactless card, American Express said I had no choice.

Do these people actually care if there is more crime? Or are they prepared to absorb the cost because of the money they make from lending too much to people to buy things they don’t need?

We used to be told that the free market gave us more choice. But I find this is less and less true. Small shops I liked keep closing because of high rents and taxes.

Big shops don’t stock things I like, because there’s ‘no call for them’. And card issuers positively urge me to use a type of card that I don’t want, and which is less secure than it was before.