Ireland has been identified as a trouble spot for credit card fraud by Barclaycard fraud investigators. British credit card holders have been advised to be extra vigilant when travelling abroad and Ireland is ranked sixth in the list of countries where fraud is most common among Barclaycard customers.

Visitors to the Republic are at a much greater risk of falling victim to credit card fraud than wary locals. According to the Irish Bankers' Federation, credit card fraud is costing Irish banks a modest £1.9 million per year, not excessive in a country with 1.5 million cardholders.

Fraudsters typically target tourists by stealing their cards or making counterfeit copies. As a general rule, Irish cardholders are not liable fortransactions made after they have reported their card stolen, and areliable for only £118 of fraudulent transactions before they alert the bank.