Money News
Millions of Britons are suffering from PIN code overload, according to the latest research from Abbey Current Accounts. Indeed, the average Brit carries around at least two different credit or debit card PIN codes in their head. But 6 million people carry around three, 3 million retain four and almost 2 million of us set ourselves the task of remembering five or more PIN codes.
Not surprisingly with all those numbers swimming around in our heads, 22 million credit and debit card owners (55%) admit that they've forgotten their PIN recently. And 16 million (39%) also admit they've written their PIN numbers down on a piece of paper to help remember them.
Worryingly, 2.4 million of us keep that piece of paper alongside their credit and debit cards in their wallet. And while 9.4 million people said they'd disguised their PIN (for example as a phone number), 1.6 million had taken no steps whatsoever to disguise theirs. Four million others said that they've saved their number somewhere inside their mobile phone. However, 5.7 million people avoid PIN code overload entirely by using just one number for all their cards.
Worth pointing out of course is that should your wallet fall into the wrong hands, especially if you're one of the 2.4 million who keep your number written down with it, this increases the risk of fraud as fraudsters can access all of your accounts.
25 July 2007 © Moneyextra.com
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