Police investigating credit and debit card fraud say they have come across conmen working the scam on Tyneside.
They found a number of people's cards have been cloned and used to buy goods after being secretly 'skimmed'.
Now, as sales fever takes off, officers in South Tyneside are warning anyone paying by plastic to never let credit or debit cards out of their sight.
They also urged people to be extra-cautious when using cash machines, and always check they haven't been tampered with before inserting their card.
'Skimming' takes only seconds, and its victims are often completely unaware, until they find money has been taken from their bank account, or purchases they haven't made put onto their credit card.
When a card is swiped, data from its magnetic strips is electronically copied onto another card.
The fraud is often carried out in shops, restaurants, and petrol stations, as well as at cashpoint machines, which crooks fit with false fronts.
Once your card's details have been read, a replica is produced, mostly to buy goods over the Internet, or sometimes to make purchases on the other side of the world.
Inspector Simon Charlton of South Tyneside area command said: "I know it's a chore, but if you are paying for goods by credit card you should never let it leave your sight.
"When paying for meals in restaurants ask for the chip and pin machine to come to you.
"If it can't, go to the counter with your card to pay.
"It only takes a fraudster seconds to record your card details and memorise the security code on the back of your card.
"And before you know it your card is being used to buy goods and your bank account is wiped clean."
Anyone suspicious of a machine should contact police and inform the bank it belongs to.
By LISA NIGHTINGALE
lisa.nightingale@northeast-press.co.uk