Conmen are finding new ways to steal banking passwords



The cost of the crime rose to a record £39m for the first half of this year - a 55% increase on the same period in 2008, according to industry body Financial Fraud Action UK.



Experts blamed the hike on fraudsters using increasingly sophisticated methods to get their hands on customers' cash, rather than weaknesses in the banks' own online systems.



Methods include targeting online bankers through malware scams, where customers' computers are infected with a Trojan virus, which logs their keystrokes, including passwords and personal data.   There were also more than 26,000 phishing incidents during the same period - a 26% increase on the first six months of last year.

• Phishing sees victims conned into handing over their banking details often through an official-looking letter or website.

• Shadow home affairs minister James Brokenshire said: "These figures underline the growing threat from online crime.

• "Unless more concerted action is taken, consumer confidence in the internet will be damaged with significant implications for business

• "We need a strong coordinated approach to prevent more people falling victim to computer crime."  Editor's Note:  How about providing a log-in procedure that 100% replicates the same way banks trust consumers to access cash in real time at an ATM?