Bank card fraud and identity theft continue to top the list of consumer security concerns, a recent survey reveals.

The study, which surveyed individuals from nine countries worldwide, indicates that despite a general decrease in overall concerns about security threats, the incidence of bank card fraud and identity theft continues to have consumers worried. As such, the research has indicated that a majority of people globally would accept biometric authentication to verify their identity and lower identity theft risks.

These global concerns may thus have led to an increased consumer acceptance of biometric technologies, such as fingerprint and eye (retinal) scans, versus more traditional methods of using passwords and PINs. Respondents in every country surveyed in the Unisys Security Index indicated a majority favoured the use of advanced biometric methods.

In the UK, for example, 95 percent of those who said they would be willing to provide biometric data said they would be willing to provide fingerprint data; 90 percent said they would provide an eye scan; and 82 percent said they would agree to a facial scan. High acceptance rates for these types of biometrics were also reported in other countries.

Bank card fraud and identity theft are growing issues worldwide. The National Identity Fraud Prevention 2008 survey found that ID fraud is one of the fastest growing crimes in Europe. In addition, this year’s British Crime Survey found that credit card fraud cost the UK GBP 610 million in 2008 - up by 43 percent in just two years. In the US, the number of identity fraud victims increased 22 percent in 2008 to 9.9 million adults, according to Javelin Research and Strategy.

Additionally, the research shows that overall levels of security concern dropped for all surveyed countries except for Australia and the US. The country with the highest index level of concern was Brazil, while the Netherlands had the lowest score. In fact, the Netherlands and Belgium traditionally have had the lowest Unisys Security Index scores across every category.

The Unisys Security Index is a biannual global study that provides insights into the attitudes of consumers on a wide range of security related issues. The Unisys Security Index surveys nearly 8,300 people in Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States.