CREDIT card fraud totalled a staggering £7.5m in West Yorkshire last year.
And some of the stolen money could well have been used by organised crime and terrorist gangs.
The revelations were made when West Yorkshire Police's community safety department and economic crime unit joined forces to warn companies about credit card fraud at a seminar in Wakefield.
Of the £7.5m fraud tally in West Yorkshire, £2m of it happened when the cardholder not present.
In short, the credit card details were being used over the phone or internet.
Police fear this kind of fraud will increase when new measures called Chip and Pin are put in place to thwart fraud at shop tills.
Det Chief Insp David Cooper, from West Yorkshire Police's economic crime unit, said: "There is growing evidence that organised crime and terrorist activity is being funded through fraudulent use of credit cards.
"The investment in fraud prevention is essential to reduce losses and strangle the lifeline that funds these criminal activities.
"We are asking companies to look at their working practices and question if more can be done to reduce this type of fraud."
Det Insp John Minary, from the force's community safety department, said: "It's important we work together with local businesses to make them aware the money they lose each year could potentially be used to fund organised crime and terrorist activity."
