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UK bank details 'for sale by thieves'

Card fraud is becoming widespread in the UK, a new report from Symantec shows.

According to the data firm's biannual Internet Security Threat Report, "cyber-crime supermarkets" are offering British bank account details to criminals for as little as £5.

These sales are arranged through instant messengers or hard-to-detect web forums that are only in existence for a few days, the BBC reports.

Credit card details were the most common item on sale, with researchers detecting packages such as 50 card numbers on sale for £20 and 500 numbers on sale for £100.

Symantec also said that, as with legitimate retailers, the fraudsters could face harsh financial consequences through bad word-of-mouth from buyers if they were found to be selling false details.

Theft of bank account or credit card details can lead to funds being withdrawn - making it harder for some consumers to pay off debt.

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