Chip and PIN goes undercover

A chip and PIN device is being introduced nationwide to prevent criminals stealing shoppers' PIN numbers.

The device is a magnifying glass that obscures the chip and PIN keypad so it can only be read head-on by the shopper and not at any other angle. This means 'shoulder surfers' - people who attempt to spy on customers as they type in their PIN numbers with a view to stealing and using their cards - are thwarted.

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The magnifying screen, recently trialled at Boots the Chemist in Cambridge, also has the added bonus of helping partially sighted customers see the PIN pads better, according to Boots essential operation manager Clive Barber.

The chip and PIN guard will now be rolled out to around half the UK's points of sale.

Just under two-thirds (63 per cent) of credit card holders said they are conscious of people watching them enter their PIN, according to market research company Harris Interactive.

Chip and PIN has been blamed for making ID theft easier, as checkout staff in shops are less vigilant about transactions because of the new anti-fraud technology, according to a leading criminologist.