The insurance firm LV noted that one in three UK adults say they have been asked to pay for goods or take money out on someone else's behalf.

Experts warn that by sharing their PIN with others, card users are exposing themselves to fraud and seriously weakening the security of the chip and PIN system.

LV said that businesses themselves need to pay closer attention as 98% of people who have used someone else's card said they were not caught, leaving retailers open to being targeted by fraudsters.

Delving into the research reveals that, for those people passing on their card details for someone to buy something on their behalf, almost one in 10 (9%) have told someone the details including their PIN over the phone,

Seven percent have written personal details such as their PIN down, six percent have given them face to face in a public place and a few have even sent the details to someone in an email or text message.

Commenting on the results of the survey, John O'Roarke, managing director of LV Home Insurance, said: "It's concerning to see the numbers of card-holders who are so lax with their card details, even if they are sharing them with their friends and family. We would strongly urge all card-users not to tell anyone their PIN number."

"Not only does it undermine the security of your account and increases the risk of ID fraud but also card holders could end up out of pocket if they are found to have shared their card details", he added.