I lose things. Keys, umbrellas, purses, other people’s pets and once, even one of my shoes on the London underground.

I was wearing them at the time, which is a bit worrying, looking back.

But seriously, even a professional loser like me was amazed to discover that a staggering £450.4m went missing on the nation’s bank cards last year.

Even more worryingly, identity theft, cloned cards and internet scams are on the rise.

According to the impressively-named Financial Fraud Action UK, foul play resulting from cards being stolen cost us £58.9m last year.

But apparently, it’s not because crooks are using more high-tech wizardry to con us out of our money.

In fact, the opposite. Because fraud detection and secure card technology is now so advanced, the baddies have switched back to low-tech methods.

Education secretary Michael Gove keeps banging on about going back to basics and conmen are doing just that, by posing as bank officials or the police over the phone to persuade us to reveal pin numbers and other vital info.

Another dodgy thing to watch out for are digital attacks, which use malware, or malicious software which can be downloaded onto your computer without you realising.

Once there, it burrows into your files, allowing the baddies to see your financial info, passwords and personal details.

It’s a simple step from there for them to use that information to shop with online retailers using your money and the first you’ll know about it is when you realise you’re overdrawn thanks to mysterious transactions you had nothing to do with.

So what can we do to defend ourselves against the financial fraudsters?

Experts say to avoid carrying around old payslips, bank or credit card statements, utility bills or any scraps of paper with important passwords in our handbags, wallets or glove compartments.

These can be put together like a jigsaw and the information used to commit identity fraud.

Shred statements or letters that show your personal details before you dump them in your outside bin or recycling boxes.

And remember, your bank or the police will never phone, email or visit you to ask for your card pin, or to pick up your card. Never hand your card over to anyone who says they have come to collect it, no matter how trustworthy they seem and make sure you’re the only one who knows your pin number.

Be suspicious of emails saying they’re from your bank or the taxman and don’t click on any links.

If you use internet shopping, stick to secure websites and before keying in your card details, check the locked padlock or unbroken key symbol is showing in your browser.

Install up-to-date security software on your laptop, including anti-virus, go through your bank and card statements for unusual transactions and if you spot anything odd, let your card company know straight away.

So, even if, like me, you tend to lose things, you can still win when it comes to beating the baddies.