Identity theft & credit fraud: how to avoid being a victim

The ever proliferating crime of identity theft has been the highly topical subject of Identity, ITV1’s recent six-part drama. The programme raises awareness of just how valuable personal information is.

The ever proliferating crime of identity theft has been the highly topical subject of Identity, ITV1’s recent six-part drama. The programme raises awareness of just how valuable personal information is.

For example, criminals can find out your personal details and use them to open bank accounts and get credit cards, loans, state benefits and documents such as passports and driving licenses in your name. Here are some tips* to help you protect your identity and prevent criminals from committing fraud in your name:

• Regularly obtain a copy of your personal credit file to see which financial organisations have accessed your details. Check your personal credit file 2-3 months after you have moved house.
• Tell your bank, card issuer and all other organisations that you deal with immediately if you move house.
• Visit www.getsafeonline.org for advice on how to stay safe online when shopping, banking or doing business over the internet, and how to protect your computer and the personal information it contains.
• If your plastic cards are lost or stolen, cancel them immediately. Keep a note of the emergency numbers you should call. Further details can be found at the www.cardwatch.org.uk
• Don’t throw away entire bills, receipts, credit-or debit-card slips, bank statements or even unwanted post in your name. Destroy unwanted documents, preferably by using a shredder. 
• Don’t use the same password for more than one account and never use banking passwords for any other websites. Using different passwords increases security and makes it less likely that someone could access any other accounts.

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