The Apacs data revealed that ‘card-not-present’ fraud has risen by 33 per cent to almost £110 million in the last two years with online fraud rising by 81 per cent to £28 million.

Mark Bowerman, a spokesman for Apacs, claimed that fraud was happening because people did not dispose of important documentation properly rather than criminals simply intercepting details during online transactions.

‘It’s cardholders being careless with their credit card information. Criminals will happily go through bins to find receipts and bank statements,’ he said.

The findings substantiate a report released earlier this month by the Interactive Media in Retail Group which identified a lack of consumer confidence was the central reason preventing people from shopping on the internet.