ID fraud - could it happen to you?
ID fraud is more common than you may think. According to the latest survey from Which?
, one in four adults in the UK has either had their identity stolen or misused
or knows somebody who has.
ID fraud takes place when criminals pretend to be someone else and apply
for loans, credit cards or open bank accounts. UK consumers continue to be at
risk of identity fraud as criminals continue to look for new and innovative
ways to steal personal data - The most recent official estimate puts the cost
of identity fraud at £1.7billion. Alarmingly, research suggests that on average
it takes victims more than 15 months to discover their identity has been
stolen.
How to avoid ID fraud
There are lots of sensible precautions you can take against ID fraud. Never give
your personal details over the phone to someone calling unexpectedly from the
bank, a local shop, a national organisation or a company you deal with. Make
sure you refuse to provide personal information to people who say they are
calling from companies you have not dealt with before. They are probably trying
to get your identity details or financial information (such as account or
credit card numbers) in order to commit ID fraud.
You should always completely destroy any rubbish that an ID fraudster could use,
including bank or credit card statements, cheque book stubs, till receipts that
give your credit card or debit card details and any documents that someone
could use as identification - raiding bins is one way ID fraudsters get their
hands on your details. ID fraudsters have been known to apply for credit in
someone else's name and redirect that person's mail. The government recommends
that we all monitor our own credit report regularly as a protection against ID
fraud.
CreditExpert is a unique online credit monitoring service from Experian that
lets you see your credit report and sends weekly alerts by e-mail or text
message if there is any significant change. As a member of CreditExpert, you'll
be the first to know if you're about to become a victim of ID fraud.
Start your free trial and get a free copy of your Experian credit report.