Meanwhile, thieves have also racked up double the amount of damage in the same time. Last year, charge card thieves stole 1.8 million euros. In 2003, the sum was 930,000 euros.
Card thefts pick up during the summer months and during public events. The most brazen thieves make their move in the middle of the day and prey on the elderly or intoxicated people.
Often, thieves spy the card's pin code when their victim withdraws money from a cash machine. One way for consumers to limit the amount of damage is to set a limit on how much money can be withdrawn with the card.