Scammers armed with only a skimming device and a laptop show how easy it is to steal contactless card data from unwitting shoppers amid fraud 'pandemic'

A pair of scammers have shown how easy it is to steal contactless card data using only a handheld skimming device and a laptop.

The stunt, filmed at Manchester's Trafford Centre, shows the pair walking up behind shoppers and waving the reader over pockets and bags.

The gadget easily scans the card information with none of the shoppers even aware of what has taken place.

The duo then upload the information to a laptop and use it to buy a phone on Amazon.

The basket shows them spending £1,047 with the stolen data.

The shoppers were refunded and the data was deleted but the stunt shows just how easily people can be scammed on the high street.

It was carried out by SkimSafe, a company which makes cards which protect contactless cards from being skimmed.

Its founders, Björn Granberg and Carl Martinsson say that Britain needs to treat fraud as if it were a medical disease.

The pair warn of a 'pandemic' as one in 20 have fallen victim to the fraud since 2011 and one in ten did not see their money again.

Mr Granberg said: 'If this was an increase in the number of measles cases, it would be described as a pandemic and the WHO would issue a warning.

'It's staggering that remote card fraud increased a phenomenal 47 per cent, that's almost doubled, since the year before and nearly a 400 per cent increase since recording of these types of crimes started in 2011.'

In Manchester, the risk of becoming a victim of bank and credit account fraud increased by 80 per cent from 2017 to 2018.

The amount taken from the UK public rose last year from £564million to £671.4million, an increase of over 19 per cent from. 

The largest proportion of these fraudulent transactions were via 'remote purchase'. 

This occurs when criminals use stolen details online or over the phone to buy items ranging from mobile phones to holidays or apply for more finance in your name.