Tricky ways thieves can steal your credit card information

Thieves are going after your identity with the most tech-savvy gear, but it's actually your finger tips that can lead to your identity being stolen.

Credit card crime has been happening for years: the Lebanese loop, fake pin pads, phishing and even radio-frequency ID scanners.

But now thieves have an unexpected way to get your debit card PIN, and here's how it works.

When you press the numbers on pin pads, your fingers leave heat behind. Thieves can attach an infra-red camera to their mobile phone and see what numbers you've pressed. They can even tell which order you pressed them in related to the amount of heat present.

The bad news is that these cameras are getting even easier to buy, and options include camera cases for iPhones which cost as little as £100 and are incredibly difficult to spot.

Fortunately most pin pads at ATMs now are made of metal and heat doesn't show up as well. Don't worry though because there is a solution for rubber button pin pads too: rest your fingers on the buttons that you aren't pressing, this way you'll leave heat residue on all the buttons on the pin pad and it will be much harder to work out which keys have been pressed.

But, there's another thing, for all online and phone purchases you don't need to enter your pin code. So, if you suspect that any of your cards have been stolen, keep a close eye on your bank account for any unusual online activity, if you think your identity has been stolen then contact you bank immediately.