IDENTITY THEFT



It is difficult to pinpoint the extent of identity theft and identity fraud in the UK, however the latest figures from February 2006 estimate that identity theft fraud costs the UK economy £1.7 billion. However, with the rise of identity theft crime, there is also a steady increase in identity theft protection, such as recommended identity theft software and identity theft protection services.

What is Identity Theft?


There are two elements to identity theft fraud:

The first is the traditional idea of a thief stealing somebody’s actual identity, by stealing personal items such as utility bills, bank statements, cheque books, or by seeking out personal details through open source checks, such as the registers of births and deaths, or by using the internet. By using such details the thief may be able to commit identity theft fraud by opening bank accounts, obtaining credit cards or loans, claiming state benefits, or simply taking over the victim’s accounts. These personal details could also be used to gain certified documents such as driving licenses and passports in the name of the victim, and there is almost no end to the number of identity theft scams these fraudsters can do with that amount of sensitive information.

The second element of identity theft is the use of stolen identities to indulge in fraudulent behavior. The aim of UK fraud is to offer identity theft advice, give tips on how to avoid identity theft and review the best identity theft protection.

The latest methods of identity theft that thieves employ:

Identity thieves contact their victims under the guise of the victims’ bank, or other financial company, and ask them to verify their personal details such as account information and passwords.

Phishing attacks. Phishing is a popular and growing criminal activity which has led to an increase in online identity theft. “Phishers” pretend to be trusted financial companies in an attempt to obtain sensitive and personal information – such as credit card details, usernames and passwords - via the internet.

Employing spyware. Spyware is malicious software that can collect personal information from computers whilst remaining hidden at all times. With countless numbers of people keeping all of their important and personal information on their personal computers, such as personal accounts, no wonder fraudsters are using spyware to commit computer identify theft. Protect yourself from identity theft by installing a recommended identity theft software on your p.c.

Using social networking sites, such as MySpace and facebook to gather personal details. Due to the popularity of such sites, there has been a sharp rise in the number of online identity theft complaints. Identity thieves take what information can be used from the personal information posted on user profiles.

Stealing mail that has been left in communal areas of residential properties, or that have been thrown out in the rubbish.

Obtaining personal information by stealing belongings such as purses, wallets or a haul from a burglary.

 

How To Avoid Identity Theft


Be vigilant with your personal information.
Many web developers avoid using internet explorer because of all the exploits in the browser (I'm sure you have seen how many updates Microsoft install to your computer). Another browser option is Mozilla Firefox used as a developing browser it also has many useful plugins like the Google Safe Browsing extension to Firefox that lets you know if a web site you are visiting is asking for your personal details under suspicious circumstances.

If you receive a telephone call from a bank, Credit Card Company or other retail company asking you to confirm personal details about yourself or your account, decline. Ask to call them back, preferably through a central switchboard. Ask for your customer reference number, which will be on all correspondence, to verify their identity. Never give out personal details or passwords.

Destroy all personal documents, such as bank statements, with a shredder or burn them with the garden refuse. If you cannot do either, tear the documents into tiny pieces and put in the bin with other household waste.

If you move home it is vital that you inform each of the companies that you are in correspondence with. Consider re-directing your post with Royal Mail. If you do not remove all of your correspondence from your previous address, the new tenants may have free access to your personal details and have the opportunity to abuse them.

Install an identity theft software on your personal computer to combat spyware. You will find a highly recommended identity theft software available through UK Fraud, and there are is also free identity theft protection available.

Be aware of unsolicited emails, and never respond to phishing emails that claim to originate from your bank or other company that you are in correspondence with. Remember that a bank will never ask its’ customers for their details via unsolicited emails.

Never post personal your details on the internet. Such information could be used to clone your identity and commit identity theft fraud.

Instruct your bank to deny any payments from abroad unless previously authorized by you.

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Always Take Action - Always Act Quickly


Never ignore the problem. It may be a criminal that is opening accounts and obtaining goods, but the debt will fall to your name and address.

Cancel credit cards and all bank cards immediately.

Check your credit report frequently for any unauthorized activity. Fraudulent activities may not be carried out by you, however your credit rating will suffer if your identity is stolen. Unfortunately it can take many years to fully recover once being blacklisted for credit. You may experience difficulty in getting a mortgage, or a loan, or other credit, which can make life even more difficult.

Identity theft services and fraud departments of banks or financial companies are equipped to provide identity theft assistance. Credit card companies such as Capital One offer excellent identity theft protection schemes for their customers, providing identity theft monitoring of their accounts, and in the event of a crisis provide identity theft assistance throughout the case.

 

How Do You Know If You Are A Victim Of Identity Theft?


• Are you missing your regular bank or credit card statements? If so they could be being stolen or redirected to a criminal.

• Have you noticed charges to your accounts that you have not made? Make it part of your routine to check all of your financial statements.

• Have you been contacted by a debt collection agency regarding outstanding payments for items or services that you know nothing about? Again always be wary of companies that contact you unexpectedly asking for personal information.

 

What Identity Theft Help Is There For Victims?


Many banks and credit card companies offer excellent identity theft protection schemes for victims of identity theft. Always contact your financial company in the first instance, and they are well equipped to advise you on the best next steps to take. Although a daunting experience, there is a great deal of identity theft help available. All cases are treated very seriously and you will have a support network available to you at every stage of your case. Please visit the following websites for further information regarding identity theft fraud and help available for victims.

 

Useful Websites


http://www.met.police.uk/fraudalert
http://www.stop-idfraud.co.uk
http://www.banksafeonline.org.uk
http://www.identity-theft.org.uk
http://www.idfraud.org.uk
http://dcpcu.org.uk