The number of fraudsters taking over people’s bank accounts and credit cards is on the rise, a watchdog has warned.

A report by the fraud prevention service Cifas reveals that cases of ‘takeover fraud’ in the UK increased by 75% last year.

In the past, fraudsters who gained access to your personal details may have taken out credit cards or loans in your name. Now, however, lenders are more reluctant to give out credit and are more stringent in checking whether applicants are suitable to take out a loan or credit card.

For this reason, criminals are trying to take over existing credit cards and bank accounts in order to gain access to people’s funds. Customers may not even be aware that their account has been taken over, until they receive a large or unexpected bill.

Criminals will often create a website based around a popular story or event in order to entice customers. When someone visits one of these websites or opens an email their computer can be infected with malicious software which tracks the websites they visit and what they type in, including usernames and passwords. With this information, criminals are then able to access your account.

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The gap between asking and selling prices of properties is narrowing, according to research by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).

Across the UK, homes sold at an average of 11% below the price advertised in the first three months to May. However, in some UK regions sellers have had to accept a 26% discount on the asking price of their home.

The RICS survey reveals that nearly 60% if surveyors believe that the gap between the asking and selling price of a home is narrowing. This makes a welcome change from last year, when the majority of surveyors reported that the difference between what homeowners hoped their property was worth and what buyers were prepared to pay was increasing.

A run of positive surveys in recent weeks, including reports of price rises from Nationwide and the Halifax, have given consumers cause for optimism. But despite an increase in sales, economists warn that the housing market will not recover quickly, with the likelihood of further price drops to come.

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More than 60,000 cars have been sold under the government’s scrappage scheme, figures released today show.

Business Secretary Lord Mandelson said that the strong uptake of the scheme, which was launched just two months ago, showed that the initiative was a success. Consumers know a good deal when they see one. These figures speak for themselves,” he said.

However, the scheme’s popularity could mean that the £300 million of government money allocated to the scheme could be exhausted far sooner than the March 2010 deadline. Over a tenth of the funding had been used up by the end of May.

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The number of mortgages issued in April rose by 16% in April compared with the previous month, according to figures from the Council of Mortgage Lenders.

However, the number of new mortgages remains 28% lower than in April 2008, the body said.

Whereas last year, first time buyers could expect to pay a 15% deposit on a mortgage, the must now stump up 25% of the price of a property. Nonetheless, the average amount borrowed by first time buyers to purchase a home rose slightly in April to £96,000. This is the first increase since May 2008.

The CML figures echo lending data from earlier surveys. They confirm a rise in the popularity of fixed-rate mortgages, as homeowners predict a further fall in interest rates.

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Buy to let landlords are losing their properties at over three times the rate of homeowners who live at the property, research has shown.

According to figures from the Council of Mortgage Lenders, 1,700 buy-to let properties were repossessed by lenders in the first quarter of this year. However, when a receiver of rent is included, this figure jumps to 4,100.

A receiver of rent is employed by a lender to collect rent when a landlord defaults on his mortgage payments. This process allows the tenant to remain in their property instead of losing their home, and gives the lender time to decide what to do with the property. The mortgage interest can be offset by the rent.

In the first three months of this year 2,400 receivers of rent were appointed by lenders - eight times the number in the first quarter of 2008. This year 0.35% of buy-to-let properties were repossessed by lenders, compared with 0.11% of owner-occupied properties.

One reason for this is that many landlords bought expensive properties, but tenants were not prepared to pay rents high enough to cover the mortgage.

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Tour operator Thomas Cook has assured its customers that it will not be affected by news that its parent company has declared itself insolvent.

Arcandor, which also owned the German department store chain Karstadt and the mail order business Primondo, filed for insolvency after the German government refused its request for an emergency bail-out yesterday.

Manny Fontenla-Novoa, chief executive of Thomas Cook Group, expressed sadness at the news of Arcandor’s collapse, but said that Thomas Cook’s financial arrangements had been kept independent of its parent company.

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The government-controlled Lloyds Banking Group plans to cut 1,660 jobs and close its entire network of Cheltenham & Gloucester branches.

The group, which yesterday began repaying its multibillion pound loan from the taxpayer, confirmed this lunchtime that it will be shutting all 164 of its C&G branches in November, which will result in around 1,000 job cuts. It will mean the end of the C&G brand after more than 150 years on the high street. Customers will be directed to use one of Lloyds’ 1,800 remaining branches across the UK.

Lloyds is also slashing 265 positions across its personal loans division, based in Chester and Cardiff, as well as jobs in its retail, personal finance and mortgage sales operations.

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Insurers are “pressuring” drivers into settling claim just hours after they have had an accident, according to a road safety charity.

When a driver in involved in an accident that was caused by somebody else, they would normally expect to arrange compensation with the other person’s insurer. However, the national road safety charity Brake has warned that crash victims are being encouraged to settle claims quickly before they have a chance to seek legal or medical advice.

Solicitors’ groups have called for tighter regulations surrounding the advice given by insurers in the wake of a road accident.

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The Ministry of Justice has warned customers to be wary of firms which claim they can help write off debts.

The ministry said that hundreds of claims management companies are charging large fees for an initial consultation, and are making misleading claims about the chances of success.

Steve Sharrock, an oil engineer from Manchester, told the BBC that he had received a phone call from a debt management company which claimed there was a 99.9% chance he could get his debts written off. However, after paying an up-front fee of £275, Mr Sharrock never heard from the firm again.

“It’s a con,” he said. “They’re obviously only concerned about getting money off you as quickly as they can. It’s a con.”

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Get a 50% discount off your meal when you dine at Brasserie Gerard.

The chain of gourmet French restaurants is offering you the chance to eat for half price when you order from their summer menu. With hearty main courses from France and the Maghreb, light lunches and snacks, Brasserie Gerard’s tempting summer menu offers a wider selection of mouth watering dishes including grilled salmon, shellfish casserole, grilled vegetable tagine and Roquefort salad. Click here to view the full menu.

To benefit from the offer, simply download the 50% off voucher, print it off, fill in your details and hand it in at your nearest Brasserie Gerard when you order. 50% will then be deducted from your bill, excluding drinks.

This offer runs until 21st June, 2009. It is not valid in conjunction with any other offer.