Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Coinstar Appoints CFO







Coinstar Appoints J. Scott Di Valerio Chief Financial Officer

BELLEVUE, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Coinstar, Inc. (NASDAQ: CSTR), today announced the appointment of J. Scott Di Valerio as chief financial officer effective March 2, 2010. Di Valerio joined the company on January 19 and will work with Paul Davis, Coinstar chief executive officer, prior to taking over as CFO.



"Scott brings with him a strong finance, management and business background with high-growth, world-class organizations, as well as a demonstrated ability to communicate effectively with the investment community,” said Paul Davis. “The depth and breadth of his experience further enhances our management team, and we look forward to his contributions as we execute our strategic plans for growth and success as a leader in automated retail."



Di Valerio, 47, has over 25 years finance, operations and management experience, most recently serving as President of the Americas for the Lenovo Group Limited, a leading computer manufacturer. Previously, he held senior positions at Microsoft Corp., where he served as the company’s corporate vice president of Finance and Administration and chief accounting officer, and as corporate vice president of the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) division. Before joining Microsoft, Di Valerio served as corporate vice president corporate controllership at The Walt Disney Company, chief financial officer of Mindwave Software Inc., and partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers.



Di Valerio is a certified public accountant and holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of San Diego.



James Blanda, a Tatum, LLC, partner will stay on as interim CFO with the company through March 1 prior to the transition to Di Valerio.



About Coinstar, Inc.



Coinstar, Inc. (NASDAQ: CSTR) is a leading provider of automated retail solutions offering convenient products and services that make life easier for consumers and drive incremental traffic and revenue for its retailers. The Company’s core automated retail businesses are self-service coin counting and self-service DVD rental. Other Coinstar products and services include e-payment products – such as gift cards, prepaid debit cards and other prepaid products – and money transfer services. The Company’s products and services can be found at more than 90,000 points of presence including supermarkets, drug stores, mass merchants, financial institutions, convenience stores, restaurants, and money transfer agents. For more information, visit www.coinstar.com.







Ecommerce Soaring Across Europe



E-commerce accounts for 12 per cent of EU business Study finds enterprise web use soaring across Europe



Revenues from e-commerce accounted for some 12 per cent of European business income last year, according to a recent report. 



The European Commission's Eurostat office found that companies in many member countries are drawing significant revenues from e-commerce transactions, mainly within their own borders. Domestic transactions accounted for 83 per cent of e-commerce sales in the UK, for example.



Ireland reported the highest percentage of e-commerce sales, at 26 per cent, and was also among the highest in sales beyond its own borders, at nearly 40 per cent.



Continue Reading



More Information: Here's a link to the Eurostat Report



A little more than a quarter of e-commerce turnover with destinations outside the country

The share of enterprise turnover generated from e-commerce2 in 2008 varied significantly between Member States. The highest shares were recorded in Ireland (26%), Finland and Sweden (both 18%), the Czech Republic, Germany and the United Kingdom (all 15%), Hungary (14%) and France (13%). The lowest shares were observed in Bulgaria and Cyprus (both 1%).



In the EU27, three quarters (73%) of e-commerce turnover came from within the country, 19% from another EU27 Member State and 8% from outside the EU27. Over 80% of e-commerce turnover came from within the country in Latvia (88%), Bulgaria (85%), the United Kingdom (83%), Greece and France (both 82%) and Spain (81%). Hungary (60%) recorded the highest share of e-commerce turnover with another Member State, followed by Cyprus (51%), Slovakia (44%) and Ireland (39%). Highest proportions of e-commerce turnover from outside the EU27 were observed for enterprises in Malta (56%), Slovakia (34%), Ireland (23%) and Cyprus (20%).











Mobile Shopping Takes Hold Worldwide

Mobile Shopping Takes Hold Worldwide

More than one-half of consumers used their mobile phones for in-store holiday shopping activities, including comparison shopping and couponing. Full Article












Gartner: Online Banking Transactions Not Secure



The Ecommerce Journal published a story regarding Gartner's recent report that One-Time Passwords (OTP's) do not provide adequate protection against the bad guys.  In fact, if a banking Trojan, designed to steal online banking credentials, were to receive the OTP at the same time the consumer did, they can carry out a transaction about 20 to 30 times faster than the online banking customer.  Since it's a "one-time" password, whomever enters it first, is the one who is able to use it.   End result?  OTP's work better for the bad guys than they do for the good ones.  Here's the story:



Transactions are still not secure with online 


banking, what else should be done?



The simple answer:  Log on to online banking with the same trusted method used to access cash from an ATM.  Insert your card into a card reader and enter your PIN into a PCI 2.x certified PIN Entry Device...



Gartner Inc. warns that the measures taken by the financial institutions to protect online transactions are lame and are no longer enough to protect online banking systems against fraud.



Sophisticated tools used by the cybercriminals make them successful in hacking security systems so as to steal customers' log-in credentials and pillage their bank accounts, says Gartner analyst Avivah Litan.



Trojan horses steal credentials or intercept transactions and other measures like a phone-based, "out of band" authentication system, makes no good either. Perpetrators use call forwarding so that the fraudster, not the legitimate customer, gets the call from the financial institution, Litan said.



A Trojan completes transactions much faster than a human would; a Trojan can take as little as one second to enter a money transfer amount and press OK, whereas a human would take 20 to 30 seconds.  Editor Translation:  If both of them receive the generated One-Time-Password at the same time,  the online banking customer doesn't stand a chance against a Trojan.







Wells Fargo Earns Record $22.7 Billion Full Year Income

https://www.wellsfargo.comWells Fargo Reports Record Full Year Net Income

Q4 Record Revenue of $22.7 billion; Q4 Net Income of $2.8 billion

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC):

“Despite doubling the size of the Company and despite cyclically elevated credit costs this past year, our capital ratios ended 2009 higher than they were upon completion of the Wachovia acquisition, even after redeeming TARP in full and purchasing Prudential’s noncontrolling interest in the retail securities brokerage joint venture.”

Full Year 2009:

  • Record net income of $12.3 billion

  • Record revenue of $88.7 billion

  • Record pre-tax pre-provision profit (PTPP) of $39.7 billion, more than 2.1 times annual net charge-offs. (See footnote 4 on page 18 for information on PTPP)

  • Diluted earnings per common share of $1.75 reduced by $0.76 per share for TARP preferred stock dividends, including the deemed dividend upon redemption of TARP preferred stock

  • Total credit extended to consumers and businesses of $711 billion

  • Net interest margin of 4.28 percent, return on assets of 0.97 percent, and return on equity of 9.88 percent

Fourth Quarter 2009:

  • Net income of $2.8 billion, after pre-tax $500 million credit reserve build and $861 million of merger-related and incremental expenses, including:







    • $450 million in merger costs

    • $261 million previously disclosed expense provision for auction rate securities (ARS) settlement

    • $150 million employee benefit-related expenses for 401(k) profit sharing contribution to all eligible team members










  • Diluted earnings per common share of $0.08 reduced by $0.47 for TARP preferred stock dividends, including $0.39 per share upon redemption of TARP preferred stock

  • Record revenue of $22.7 billion, up 4 percent (annualized) from third quarter 2009

  • PTPP of $9.9 billion, driven by continued revenue growth offset by $861 million in merger-related and incremental expenses

  • Average checking and savings deposits of $661 billion, up 20 percent (annualized) from prior quarter

  • Continued signs of a positive turn in credit quality:







    • 30 day delinquent balances in a number of the retail and commercial segments were stable or improved, including auto, credit card, liquidating home equity, personal credit management, small business direct, and student lending, aided by continued improvement in the performance of newer vintages

    • Growth in nonperforming loans concentrated in secured real estate portfolios; other loan categories stable, including flat or declining commercial and industrial (C&I) and consumer revolving/installment credit nonaccruals

    • Growth in net charge-offs declined significantly in the quarter. Almost all major loan categories had relatively flat/declining losses, with the exception of commercial real estate. Credit card losses declined for the second consecutive quarter.

    • “Roll rates” from current to 30 days past due continued to improve in Pick-a-Pay portfolio, both impaired and non-impaired










  • Significant increases in capital:











 

 

 

 

 







 

Dec. 31,



 

Dec. 31,

(as a percent of total risk-weighted assets)



2009 (1)





2008

























 

Tier 1 capital







9.3

%



7.8

Tier 1 common equity (2)





6.5





3.1

Total capital







13.3





11.8

























 

(1) December 31, 2009, ratios are preliminary.

(2) See table on page 38 for more information on Tier 1 common equity.

  • Stockholders’ equity and Tier 1 common ratio higher at December 31, 2009, than prior to Wachovia acquisition

  • Equity offering in December raised $12.2 billion

  • Full repayment of $25 billion TARP investment; paid $1.44 billion in cash dividends to U.S. Treasury over the life of the investment

  • Purchased Prudential Financial’s noncontrolling interest in securities brokerage joint venture, giving Wells Fargo 100 percent of the future earnings of the business

  • Adoption of FAS 166/167 on January 1, 2010, improved Tier 1 common ratio by 1 basis point, reduced Tier 1 capital ratio by 1 basis point

  • Wachovia integration on track and on schedule:







    • Pick-a-Pay portfolio performed better than originally modeled

    • Re-confirmed estimate for $5 billion annual cost saves upon completion of integration in 2011, over 50 percent of annual run rate achieved in 2009

    • Estimated cumulative merger expenses further reduced to less than $5 billion

    • Asset reduction in non-strategic loan categories proceeding as planned – reduced non-strategic loans by $18.9 billion, or 15 percent in 2009

    • $109 billion of higher-cost certificates of deposits (CDs) matured in 2009; retained approximately 60 percent in lower-rate CDs and liquid deposits at lower than expected yields

    • Converted first state banking stores (Colorado) in November 2009, conversion of remaining overlapping markets expected throughout 2010










  • Industry leader in loan modifications for homeowners:







    • As of December 31, 2009, nearly half a million Wells Fargo mortgage customers were in active trial or completed loan modifications started in prior 12 months; of this total, 119,000 were under the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP), including 8,400 completed modifications, and the rest were non-HAMP modifications

    • Over 30 percent of purchased credit-impaired (PCI) Pick-a-Pay portfolio modified through December 31, 2009





























Selected Financial Information



 





 



 



 



 









Quarter ended



Year ended















Dec. 31,





Sept. 30,



Dec. 31,















 

2009





2009



2009

Earnings



















Diluted earnings per share





$

0.08





0.56



1.75

Wells Fargo net income (in billions)





2.82





3.24



12.28

























 

Asset Quality

















Net charge-offs as % of avg. total loans





2.71

%



2.50



2.21

Nonperforming loans as % of total loans





3.12





2.61



3.12

Allowance as a % of total loans







3.20





3.07



3.20

























 

Other























Revenue (in billions)





$

22.70





22.47



88.69

Average loans (in billions)







792.4





810.2



822.8

Average core deposits (in billions)





770.8





759.3



762.5

Net interest margin







4.31

%



4.36



4.28





Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC) reported record net income of $12.3 billion, or $1.75 per common share, for 2009. Fourth quarter 2009 diluted earnings per share were $0.08, compared with $0.56 for third quarter 2009 and a loss of $0.84 per share in fourth quarter 2008. Fourth quarter and full year 2009 diluted earnings per share were reduced by $0.47 and $0.76, respectively, for combined cash dividends and the deemed dividend upon redemption and full repayment of TARP preferred stock. Results prior to January 1, 2009, do not include Wachovia.



“For the fourth quarter of 2009 and for the full year, we delivered significant value for our customers, communities, shareholders and country,” said Chairman and CEO John Stumpf. “We thank our team of 281,000 for their dedication and steadfast focus on customers in 2009 as we continued the important integration of Wachovia into Wells Fargo. This merger, which essentially doubled the size of our company, has already generated tremendous synergies as we expand the time-tested Wells Fargo model to more customers and team members over a broader geography, including additional businesses that help customers succeed financially. In particular, we are very pleased with the positive results we’ve seen in attracting deposits from new and existing customers, and we are excited about the opportunity to deepen current relationships, cross-sell to new customers and achieve even higher customer satisfaction, while rewarding them for more of their business. Our mission and fundamental business model remains the same and we believe our strategic and financial position is even stronger today than it was a year ago when we completed our merger with Wachovia.



“Wells Fargo continued to do its part in making credit available to help our nation’s economic recovery. Nearly half a million Wells Fargo loan customers were provided with mortgage payment relief through active trial and completed loan modifications in 2009. We provided $711 billion in loans and lines of credit to help get the economy going again.



“As this past year’s financial performance has shown, the earnings capability of Wells Fargo’s business model has significant power to generate capital internally. Because of the value we created in 2009 for our customers and communities, we were able to achieve record revenue and earnings for the year. As we enter 2010, we believe our franchise has never been better positioned to meet the challenges and opportunities ahead of it. The Wells Fargo model has been built to outperform our peers over time and through cycles. Clearly we have done just that again in 2009 and believe that this very same model and execution discipline will continue to outperform the industry in the years and cycles ahead.”



Financial Performance



“Fourth quarter financial results reflected a continuation of the solid revenue, earnings and capital generation we have produced all year,” said Chief Financial Officer Howard Atkins. “Fourth quarter earnings of $2.8 billion contributed to a record $12.3 billion in net income for the full year. Revenue continued to build during the quarter across the majority of our businesses, reaching a new quarterly record of $22.7 billion, leading to pre-tax pre-provision profit of nearly $10.0 billion despite $861 million of merger-related and incremental expenses in the quarter. Risk in our asset portfolios has been reduced throughout the year, including fourth quarter, by reducing higher-risk loan portfolios, shedding legacy trading positions, and reducing longer duration investment securities at lower interest rates. We continued to strengthen our balance sheet by building credit reserves to $25 billion at quarter end, up $500 million in the quarter, up $3.5 billion during 2009 and more than six times the reserve (pre-merger) we had at the start of the credit crisis in mid-2007.



The Wachovia integration is proceeding as expected. Credit losses are tracking better than originally estimated at the time of the merger. Expense synergies are on track for $5 billion in annual run rate savings upon completion of the integration in 2011 and cumulative integration costs are now expected to be $3 billion less than the originally assumed $8 billion. Revenue synergies have already begun to be realized with great potential for many more. We built capital significantly throughout the year. Stockholders’ equity and Tier 1 common at December 31, 2009, were above the strong levels we had prior to the Wachovia acquisition, even after redeeming TARP and purchasing Prudential’s minority interest.”



Revenue



Revenue of $22.7 billion increased 4 percent (annualized) from third quarter 2009, largely the result of continued growth in fee income in our trust and investment management, credit/debit card and mortgage banking businesses. We also experienced broad-based growth across multiple businesses, including double-digit (annualized) linked-quarter revenue growth in asset management, auto lending through Wachovia Dealer Services, insurance, merchant card, mortgage banking, and wealth management. Legacy Wells Fargo had record retail bank household cross-sell of Wells Fargo products of 5.95 in the fourth quarter, and core product solutions (sales) of 6.08 million, up 16 percent from prior year. While mortgage originations and servicing revenue remained high, total mortgage banking noninterest income contributed just 15 percent of the Company’s consolidated revenue for the quarter.



Net Interest Income



Net interest income was $11.5 billion, compared with $11.7 billion in third quarter 2009. While earning assets were up slightly, the decline in core loans, the reduction in non-strategic assets and the third quarter sale of longer-duration mortgage-backed securities reduced net interest income growth and net interest margin in the fourth quarter, offset by significant growth in noninterest-bearing checking and savings deposits and wider new lending spreads, which are expected to benefit net interest income over the long term.



Noninterest Income



Noninterest income was $11.2 billion, up 15 percent (annualized) from $10.8 billion in third quarter 2009, and included:

  • Mortgage banking income of $3.4 billion, including:







    • $1.2 billion in income from mortgage loan originations/sales activities (net of $316 million increase in repurchase reserves) on $94 billion of residential mortgage originations and $144 billion of applications

    • $1.9 billion market-related valuation changes to mortgage servicing rights (MSRs) net of economic hedge results, largely reflecting the continuation of strong carry income and effective hedge performance; average servicing portfolio note rate was only 5.66 percent, the lowest since September 30, 2005, and the value of MSRs to loans serviced for others was 91 basis points.










  • Trust and investment fees of $2.6 billion, up 16 percent (annualized) linked quarter, primarily reflecting an increase in client assets and higher revenue from the retail securities brokerage business. After purchasing Prudential’s noncontrolling interest in the securities brokerage joint venture on December 31, 2009, Wells Fargo has 100 percent of the future earnings of the business.

  • Service charges on deposit accounts of $1.4 billion, down 15 percent (annualized) linked quarter due to normal seasonality

  • Credit/debit card fees of $961 million, up 6 percent (annualized) linked quarter reflecting seasonally higher volumes and higher debit card penetration

  • Insurance revenue of $482 million, up 12 percent (annualized) linked quarter

  • Net gains on debt and equity securities of $383 million, largely reflecting private equity gains

  • $272 million reduction in other noninterest income linked quarter, partly reflecting lower investment income in employee benefit plan





The Company had net unrealized securities gains of $5.6 billion at December 31, 2009, consisting of $3.3 billion in unrealized gains in the agency mortgage-backed securities portfolio and $2.3 billion on spread-related fixed-income securities and equity investments. During the quarter, mortgage-backed securities yields increased while capital market credit spreads generally narrowed.



Noninterest Expense



“While our core cost discipline remained very much in place in the quarter, noninterest expense increased to $12.8 billion from $11.7 billion in third quarter 2009, driven in large part by $450 million of Wachovia merger integration and severance expense (up $251 million from third quarter), $261 million for the previously announced ARS settlement and $150 million for employee benefit-related expense for 401(k) profit sharing contribution to all eligible team members,” said Atkins. “We also continued to invest for both the short- and long-term benefit of our customers. We added sales and service team members in regional banking as we align Wachovia’s banking stores with the Wells Fargo model. As we’ve rolled out our regional commercial banking office model into the Eastern states, we’ve increased sales and service headcount by 8 percent from the third quarter. We also added resources to handle the higher volumes of mortgage loan modifications, with home retention staff up 17 percent in the quarter to more than 15,000 team members dedicated to helping customers stay in their homes. The Company’s efficiency ratio was 56.5 percent, up from the third quarter’s record level but roughly flat with the first and second quarter.”



Income Taxes



The Company’s effective income tax rate was 25.2 percent in the fourth quarter, down from 29.5 percent in the third quarter (adjusted for noncontrolling interest). The reduction in tax expense primarily related to the resolution of certain federal and state income tax matters in the quarter and to a greater proportion of tax-exempt income.



Loans



Average total loans were $792.4 billion in the fourth quarter compared with $810.2 billion in the third quarter. In part, the decline was driven by the Company’s objective to reduce identified higher-risk, non-strategic and liquidating consumer loan portfolios, down $4.7 billion in the fourth quarter. “While we believe we’ve been an industry-leader in supplying credit to consumers and businesses – $711 billion in commitments and originations in 2009 – loan demand remained relatively soft in the fourth quarter, although the pace of decline in core loans moderated slightly in the quarter,” said Atkins. “Wells Fargo continued to gain market share in many lending segments including residential mortgage, auto, education finance, SBA and middle market commercial. With commercial line utilization at cyclical lows and total wholesale banking commitments of $258 billion, we are encouraged by the potential for increased loan volume should a growing economy lead to increased commercial loan demand.”



Deposits



“Deposit growth remained very strong as we continued to build consumer and business checking account relationships,” said Atkins. Average checking and savings deposits increased 20 percent (annualized) to $661.4 billion from $629.6 billion in third quarter 2009. Average mortgage escrow deposits were $27.5 billion compared with $28.7 billion in third quarter 2009. Average consumer checking accounts grew a net 5.8 percent from 2008 for Wells Fargo and Wachovia combined, and average business checking accounts grew a net 3.9 percent for the same period. Average total core deposits were $770.8 billion, up 6 percent (annualized) from $759.3 billion in third quarter 2009. During the quarter, $14 billion of Wachovia’s higher-rate certificates of deposit matured, with $6 billion of those balances retained. For the full year 2009, $109 billion of Wachovia’s high-rate certificates of deposit matured, with $62 billion retained, largely in low-cost CDs, checking and savings accounts. Only $8 billion of Wachovia high-rate CDs are expected to mature in 2010.



Capital



“We have built capital significantly in the last 15 months through industry-leading internal capital generation and three successful common stock offerings totaling over $33 billion, including the $12.2 billion offering in the fourth quarter that allowed us to repay TARP in full,” said Atkins. “Despite doubling the size of the Company and despite cyclically elevated credit costs this past year, our capital ratios ended 2009 higher than they were upon completion of the Wachovia acquisition, even after redeeming TARP in full and purchasing Prudential’s noncontrolling interest in the retail securities brokerage joint venture.”











 

 

 







 

Dec. 31,



 

Dec. 31,

(as a percent of total risk-weighted assets)



2009 (1)





2008





















 

Tier 1 capital







9.3

%



7.8

Tier 1 common equity (2)





6.5





3.1

Total capital







13.3





11.8





















 

(1) December 31, 2009, ratios are preliminary.

(2) See table on page 38 for more information on Tier 1 common equity.



On January 1, 2010, the Company adopted new accounting guidance contained in FASB ASC 810, Consolidations, and FASB ASC 860, Transfers and Servicing (FAS 166/167), which resulted in the consolidation of certain off-balance sheet assets not currently included in its financial statements. The adoption of the new guidance added approximately $10 billion in risk-weighted assets and had a small positive impact on common equity upon adoption. The total impact was to increase Tier 1 common equity as a percentage of risk-weighted assets by 1 basis point, to reduce the Tier 1 capital ratio by 1 basis point and to reduce the total capital ratio by 4 basis points.



Continue Reading to  Access Full Year Data

U.K. Card Fraud Report



YORK, UNITED KINGDOM--(Marketwire - Jan. 20, 2010) - New research reveals that Cardiff is now the worst place in the UK for card fraud, knocking London off the top spot.



According to the annual Card Fraud Index by CPP, which identifies fraud hotspots across the country, Cardiff has leapt from fifth to first place since the index started in 2007. Card crime in the Welsh capital has increased by 17 per cent in the two last years, with over a third (37 per cent) having been a victim in the past.



While Cardiff took the lead, other hotspots for card fraud were London (35 per cent), Norwich (30 per cent), Southampton (28 per cent) and Leeds (27 per cent), which leaped from 12th position to fifth in just 12 months.



The report shows card fraud has increased by more than six per cent in the past two years, equating to nearly an extra 3 million victims (1). Currently over a quarter of adults now claim to have fallen victim – a reflection of the explosion of new scams fuelled by criminals.



Online fraud remains a huge problem, affecting a third of victims, while card cloning from cash points or Chip and PIN devices accounted for nearly a fifth (17 per cent) of cases. Worryingly, over a third (34 per cent) of Brits have no idea how their financial details were swiped by fraudsters. And almost half (43 per cent) only found out they had been defrauded when alerted by their bank.





The average sum fraudulently transacted is over £590, with one in six victims (16 per cent) reporting losses of over £1,000.



The study also reveals how fraudsters have been splashing out using their victims' cash. Over one in eight (13 per cent) had their money spent on electronic goods and one in ten on clothing, whilst some poor victims had fraudsters charging holidays to their accounts.



Despite almost a fifth of cardholders (19 per cent) admitting they are more worried about card fraud compared to last year, many confess to taking actions that put them at risk. One in six (16 per cent) has let their credit or debit cards out of their sight, or left their cards loose in their bags or pockets. A further one in eight admitted to writing down their card details, while one in ten have let others take out money on their behalf.



Sarah Blaney, card fraud expert at CPP, said: "Our research shows that card fraud continues to affect more victims as fraudsters resort to increasingly sophisticated methods. At CPP we have seen high levels of Card ID theft, where criminals take over the running of another person's bank account – usually by changing the address details and then requesting a new card and genuine PIN to access the bank account. Presently speaking this account for half of our fraud cases.



"We urge all cardholders to be vigilant and take steps to protect themselves to avoid falling victim to card criminals. When out and about never let your card out of your sight. It's also really important to check your bank statements regularly and thoroughly so you can spot any suspicious transactions. These are simple steps that are very effective in the fight against fraud. If something unusual does appear on your statement make sure you contact your bank or card protection company straight away. Card protection can give cardholders valuable peace of mind, helping them to cancel and replace their cards immediately and provide fraud victim support, should the worst happen."






















Worst cities for card fraud:

City

Percentage of people affected by card fraud at least once

Key

(1) = position in fraud rankings



2009

2008

2007

Cardiff

37 (1)

34 (2)

20 (5)

London

35 (2)

38 (1)

28 (1)

Norwich

30 (3)

25 (6)

19 (9)

Southampton

28 (4)

24 (7)

14

Leeds

27 (5)

19

19 (8)

Newcastle

25 (6)

16

9

Plymouth

24 (7)

22 (10)

16

Glasgow

24 (8)

31 (3)

20 (6)

Edinburgh

24 (9)

23 (9)

18 (10)

Nottingham

23 (10)

12

19 (7)

Birmingham

23

23 (8)

25 (2)

Brighton

23

27 (5)

12

Manchester

21

29 (4)

22 (4)

Bristol

20

18

22 (3)

Sheffield

17

14

18

Liverpool

15

19

14



Key statistics

  • Card fraud in Cardiff has increased by 17% since 2007


  • 37% of people in Cardiff have fallen victim to credit/debit card fraud at least once


  • Card fraud has risen by 8% since 2007


  • There have been 2,746,856 extra victims of card fraud nationally since 2007


  • 26% of Brits have fallen victim to card fraud at least once


  • 35% of Londoners have fallen victim at least once


  • 30% of people from Norwich have fallen victim at least once


  • 28% of people from Southampton have fallen victim at least once


  • 27% of people from Leeds have fallen victim at least once


  • 32% of people were targeted online


  • Card cloning from cash points or chip and pin devices affected 16.9% of victims


  • 34% don't know how they fell victim


  • 43% were only aware they had fallen victim when contacted by their bank


  • The average amount stolen was £592.69


  • 16% lost over £1,000


  • 13% had their money spent on electronic goods


  • 10% had their money spent on clothing


  • 7% had their money spent on holidays


  • 19% are more worried about card fraud than this time last year


  • 16% let a shop assistant take their card out of sight


  • 16% carry their cards loose in their pockets or bags


  • 12% have written down their card details


  • 10% have let others take money out on their behalf


Top tips from CPP to help avoid being a victim of card fraud

  1. Don't carry multiple debit/credit cards in a wallet – only carry the essential cards you need


  2. Don't leave belongings unattended while shopping


  3. Don't carry debit/credit cards loose in a bag or pocket


  4. If your cards are registered with a Card Protection company make sure you have their emergency loss reporting number


  5. Don't ever write down your PIN number


  6. Don't let a shop assistant take your debit/credit card out of sight – they could be copied or cloned


  7. Don't let someone else take money out on your behalf


  8. Check your receipts against your statements when you get home


  9. If you are concerned your cards may have been lost or stolen, contact your bank immediately to get the card cancelled


  10. Make sure your bank has up-to-date contact details for you, including your mobile phone number in case they need to check if transactions are genuine






Notes to Editor



(1) Card fraud has increased by 5.6% since 2007. The UK adult population according to ONS is 49,051,000. 5.6% of 49,051,000 is 2,746,856 people.



Research Methodology



Online research was carried out by Opinion Matters amongst 2,001 UK adults. The survey was taken from a self-selecting nationally representative panel. The research was conducted between the 27th November and 11th December 2009.



The survey was carried out amongst 183 people in Birmingham, 53 in Brighton, 102 in Bristol, 73 in Cardiff, 89 in Edinburgh, 80 in Glasgow, 101 in Leeds, 99 in Liverpool, 497 in London, 180 in Manchester, 85 in Newcastle, 74 in Norwich, 99 in Nottingham, 75 in Plymouth, 72 in Sheffield and 112 in Southampton and 27 people in Belfast.



The CPP Group Plc



The CPP Group Plc (CPP) is an international marketing services business offering bespoke customer management solutions to multi-sector business partners designed to enhance their customer revenue, engagement and loyalty, whilst at the same time reducing cost to deliver improved profitability.



This is underpinned by the delivery of a portfolio of complementary Life Assistance products, designed to help our mutual customers cope with the anxieties associated with the challenges and opportunities of everyday life.



Whether our customers have lost their wallets, been a victim of identity fraud or looking for lifestyle perks, CPP can help remove the hassle from their lives leaving them free to enjoy life. Globally, our Life Assistance products and services are designed to simplify the complexities of everyday living whether these affect personal finances, home, travel, personal data or future plans. When it really matters, Life Assistance enables people to live life and worry less.



Established in 1980, CPP has 11 million customers and more than 200 business partners across Europe, North and South America and Asia Pacific and employs 2,000 employees who handle 16 million consumer sales and service conversations each year.



In 2008, Group revenue was £259.5 million, an increase of more than 15 per cent over the previous year. This is more than five times the sales level of 2000.



What We Do:



CPP provides a range of assistance products and services that allow our business partners to forge closer relationships with their customers.



We have a solution for many eventualities, including:

  • Insuring our customers' mobile phones

  • Protecting the payment cards in our customers' wallets and purses, should these be lost or stolen

  • Providing assistance and protection if a customer's keys are lost or stolen

  • Providing advice, insurance and assistance to protect customers against the insidious crime of identity fraud

  • Offering advice to people considering legal action and cover for the costs involved in taking action on a range of legal issues

  • Assisting customers with their travel emergencies

  • Monitoring the credit status of our customers

CPP is an award winning organisation:

  • Finalist in the National Insurance Fraud Awards, Counter Fraud Initiative of the Year category, 2009

  • Finalist in the European Contact Centre Awards, Large Team and Advisor of the Year categories, 2009

  • Named in the Sunday Times 2008 PricewaterhouseCoopers Profit Track 100

  • Finalists in the National Business Awards, 3i Growth Strategy category, 2008

  • Finalist in the National Business Awards, Business of the Year category, 2007, 2009 and Highly Commended in 2008

  • Named in the Sunday Times 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 HSBC Top Track 250 companies

  • Regional winner of the National Training Awards, 2007

  • Winner of the BITC Health, Work and Well-Being Award, 2007

  • Highly Commended in the UK National Customer Service Awards, 2006

  • Winner of the Tamworth Community Involvement Award, 2006. Finalist in 2008

  • Highly Commended in The Press Best Link Between Business and Education, 2005 and 2006. Winner in 2007

  • Finalist in the National Business Awards, Innovation category, 2005

For more information on CPP click on www.cpp.co.uk.

Global Payments Study Reveals Requirements for Increased Connectivity

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COMPLIMENTARY WHITE PAPER



Global Payments Study Reveals Requirements for Increased Connectivity Between Suppliers, Buyers, Banks and Other Trading Partners





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The corporate commercial EcoSystem of suppliers, buyers, banks & other trading partners is likely the most inefficient marketplace in the world.  Many corporations still operate in a complex web of paper, disparate systems, multiple "standards", protocols, and networks which creates redundancy, error, and lags in data delivery.



According to a recent SunGard AvantGard sponsored study, 30% of corporations in the 5B+ category are managing with 21 or more cash management banks. Additionally, 40% report that they are operating with 11 or more payment initiation systems, and 25% of the total have more than 21 systems.


The result of these inefficiencies is a high degree of friction across the EcoSystem.



Download this complimentary White Paper
to learn how streamlining connectivity and consolidating data can help reduce friction and attain visibility across the EcoSystem of buyers, suppliers and other trading partners which can help facilitate supply chain finance and uncover hidden cash and opportunities.  Also learn how advancements in bank and enterprise connectivity are helping set the stage for the future of supply chain finance.




Key Survey Findings:



  • Bank Communication & Enterprise Connectivity

  • Corporate Adoption of SWIFT & SEPA

  • The Role of Payment Factories

  • Payment Networks Leveraging Social Networking

  • The Future of Supply Chain Finance







Disqus for ePayment News