The theft of credit card holders' personal information has become a growing problem, prosecutors said at a conference in Beijing.

Many thieves now steal cardholders' private data with a card reader instead of simply taking credit cards left on an ATM. The thieves then use the information to buy goods across the country, the prosecutors said at the March event.

Lu Junzhao, director of the financial crime department of Xicheng District People's Procuratorate, said some criminals seek jobs in high-level hotels or entertainment clubs using fake identities and steal customers' personal information when the thieves swipe the credit cards.

"The servers first swipe cards on a prepared card reader that records customers' personal information, and then use the actual point-of-sale machines to make the payments," Lu said. "They tell customers the first time that something is wrong or even conceal what they're doing."

Lu cited one case in which a woman used her position as a waitress in a high-class hotel in the capital to steal personal information, including card numbers and passwords, from more than 30 customers using a card reader.

The woman then quit her job and used the stolen information to run up expenses around the city before she was found in Henan province, Lu said.

- Cao Yin