Protecting your Identity
According to Which Magazine a quarter of the UK population has been affected by identity fraud or knows somebody who has.
CIFAS, the UK's fraud prevention service estimates there have been over a quarter of a million cases of identity or impersonation fraud since 2004.
Identity fraud occurs when a person's personal information is used by someone else without their knowledge to obtain credit, goods or other services fraudulently. It can even extend to securing a passport in their name and can be worrying experience for the victim. In some cases, it may take months to discover and just as long to sort out the mess left behind.
In spite of these worrying statistics there are a number of preventative measures you can take to minimise your risk. Here are just a few:
- Protect Your Post - Fraudsters may try to redirect your mail. If you suspect your mail is being stolen or a mail redirection application has been made in your name without your knowledge contact the Royal Mail
- Secure Your Post - If you use a communal postal delivery point, make sure your mail is secured until you can collect it. Or, if you post documents that contain personal details ask your local post office about the most secure posting method.
- Shred All Documents - Shred all documents containing personal or financial information before binning or recycling them. This is the best way to ensure criminals cannot build up a profile based on your personal details.
- Be Vigilant - Beware of anyone who contacts you unexpectedly and asks for personal information even if they claim to be from your bank, the police or another official organisation. Ask for their name and a contact number and then check with the organisation in question before calling back
- Guard Your Cards - Minimise the number of cards you carry around. If you lose a card, contact your credit card company immediately and if you apply for a new credit card that doesn't arrive in a reasonable time, contact the issuer. Watch cashiers when you give them your card and make sure you can see your credit card at all times. When you receive a new card, sign and activate it immediately
- Pay Attention to Billing Cycles - Contact creditors immediately if your bills arrive late. A missing bill could mean a fraudster has taken over your credit card account and changed your billing address
- Check Your Credit Report - Checking your credit report regularly can alert you if someone has used your identity to obtain credit. You can obtain this report from one of the UK's three credit reference agencies.
- Keep Your Documents Safe - Store any documents containing personal details in a safe place. In addition, limit the number of documents you carry around with you that contain your personal details. It's also important to not leave personal documents such as a driving licence in your vehicle.
- Moving House or Going Away - If you move house, tell your bank, card issuer and all other organisations that you deal with immediately. Also remember to redirect any mail from your old address to your new one
- If you're planning to be away from home for an extended period Royal Mail have a 'Keepsafe' service which will hold your mail for up to two months, and deliver it to you on your return.
- Update Contact Details - If you change phone numbers tell all relevant organisations as soon as possible.
- Register your details with CIFAS, the UK's fraud prevention service. Once you are registered, lenders must first check with you if anyone applies for credit using your name or address.
- Online security - Keep your internet protection software up to date and ignore unsolicited emails.