I have just done a survey of the security numbers taken from a list on Card watch. Of 35 creditcard providers the number for lost and stolen cards or to report definite  or suspected fraud were as follows.

O800 or other frephone numbers
13

Geographical
6

0845
12

0870
5

We have seen many of our police forces are using NGNs. The motives are I am sure to make a little extra cash, to reduce their workload and to improve their statistics. A crime not reported will usually be minor but still costs a great deal to investigate with  little return in detection rate. Our politicians who are looking to save money and to decrease the crime and detection  rate figures will encourage this.

It is difficult to understand why nearly half of credit card providers try to make a small amount of money out of their fraud reporting service as it is they who pay the vast majority of fraud losses.  Though in many cases I would have to use these 'premium' numbers to report a lost or stolen card for which I could bear the cost before this was reported I certainly would not do so to inform of a suspicion of fraud (eg a phishing e-mail or phone call)