THE bank details of 40 million people have been reportedly recorded by a former British cop who plans to charge victims to see whether their details are available.

Colin Holder, a retired detective, has spent more than $324,000 scouring the internet for stolen personal bank details of millions of people.

Credit card details, bank account numbers, home addresses and PINs are all available according to Mr Holder.

It is not known how many Australian details are stolen.

The data comes into criminal hands as result of “phishing”, where internet users are duped into revealing over their key details.

Mr Holder claims the highly sensitive information is readily available and traded over the internet.

"About six months after I retired, I was contacted by an old source who said he was seeing a vast amount of credit card and other personal data being exchanged between criminals, and what could he do with it,'" Mr Holder told.

Mr Holder has since created a website- www.lucidintelligence.com - where people can search to see whether their details are for sale.

He said he will only charge those whose details have been stolen.

"This project is costing me £6,000 a month to operate, and I'm only charging to help recover those costs," Holden said.

"In 90 percent of cases, the searcher will never have to pay a penny."

Lloyd Borrett, an internet security expert and marketing manager at Australian anti-virus company, AVG, said users have to be vigilant with their private details.

“The key thing all of mailware is that they are always trying to slowly rip people off, gathering parts of their identify and information of the person, whether it be bank records, tax file number, phone numbers, everything,” Mr Borrett said.

He said AVG users around the world reported 560 million “mailware events” in June alone proving the threat to users.

Mr Borrett said internet users needed up-to-date anti-virus software to combat new mailware and virus attacks.

“If you think someone might have your details, contact the bank and change them, if you think about it the bad guys have got contacts and they can do far more that we think,” he said.

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Credit card companies love issuing premium "gold," "platinum" or "black" cards, since elite cardholders rack up big bills.

Here's a sampling of some of the hardest-to-get cards with the biggest cardholder benefits.

1. American Express Centurion

Annual Fee: $2,500 (plus an initiation fee of $5,000)

Requirements: $250,000 spending minimum

Often regarded as the ultimate in its category, benefits of the "black card" include 24-hour concierge service, room upgrades at hotels and membership to the company's "By Invitation Only" program, which offers access to sporting, culinary and cultural events, including New York Fashion Week.

2. Bank of America Accolades

Annual Fee: $295

Requirements: At least $200,000 in assets with Bank of America

Bank of America's first high-end credit card launched in 2007 and provides customers with concierge service, cash-back rewards, comprehensive identity-theft protection and recovery services, as well as access to more than 500 airport lounges worldwide.

3.Coutts World Card

Annual Fee: $500 (waived if $100,000 is charged to your account over one year)

Requirements: Only available to Coutts clients who have at least $1 million in the bank

As the private banking arm of the Royal Bank of Scotland, Coutts offers cardholders travel insurance, 24-hour concierge service, Priority Pass membership and purchase insurance.

4. HHonors Diamond VIP Surpass from Hilton/American Express

Annual Fee: $75

Requirements: $40,000 spending minimum

Ideal for frequent travelers, this card rewards members with nine points on the Hilton loyalty program for every $1 spent at Hilton hotels, and free access to more than 500 airport lounges worldwide. Room upgrades and access to private lounges within the hotels are also included.


5. Sotheby's World Elite Mastercard

Annual Fee: $395

Requirements: You must earn over $250,000 per year and have over $2million in investable assets.

Designed for art collectors and fans, benefits include 24-hour concierge service, complimentary business-class companion international air tickets on certain flights, upgrades from economy to business class for international air travel, global airport lounge access, discounted prices in Sotheby's catalogs and free admission to top museums.


6. Visa Black Card

Annual Fee: $495

Requirements: No spending minimum, but membership is limited to 1% of the U.S. population

Launched in 2008, this is Visa's answer to Amex's Centurion. It offers similar benefits--24-hour concierge service, Priority Pass membership and 1% cash back on all purchases--without a spending minimum.

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