by Aline Nassif

aline.nassif@essnmedia.co.uk

The bank card details of five Croydon residents have been leaked on the internet.

Four victims living in South Croydon – and one in Purley – have been targeted by hackers who uploaded their details onto a hacking website.

Their names, bank card details and home addresses were among a list of 200 from across the country.

The website has now been taken down – but only after the Advertiser informed police of the scam.

Victims have this week expressed their concern about the information going up in the first place, and thanked the Advertiser for bringing it to their attention.

Christopher White, of Manor Way, South Croydon, cancelled his card several months ago when Egg Money detected large and unusual transactions being made on it.

The retired lawyer said: "I'm relieved the card has been cancelled but it really concerns me to hear personal details are online for everyone to see.

"I've been the victim of card fraud four times with different card issuers, and on each occasion I was notified by the card issuer immediately after unusual transactions.

"These included a series of £500 internet bets or telephone purchases from companies abroad."

The 56-year-old accepts it is a crime that is "very difficult" to stop.

He added: "Even if you take the utmost care on websites, and take every precaution on your own PC, your information can be stored on company servers from whom you buy things online that may be far less secure."

A second targeted resident was 62-year-old software consultant Michael Tyrrell, of Rectory Park, South Croydon.

He has been the victim of credit card fraud twice in the past three years.

Discussing the latest incident, he said: "It's an old card [which expired in 2009], so thankfully there's nothing for people to steal.

"But I'm not happy at all about my personal details going up online, and I do worry this could happen again.

"Sadly, card fraud is a hazard of having a card, and everyone is vulnerable to it no matter how safe they are.

"There are so many ways criminals can get your details – by cloning your card at a checkout to peering over your shoulder at a cash machine, and hacking online."

The Advertiser has written to the remaining victims – some of whom have cards that have not yet expired – to warn them about the website.

A Met Police spokesman said the usual tactic in dealing with such websites was to take them down, but she admitted prosecutions were "more difficult" as many sites are hosted abroad.