The Money Stop

Millions of Britons are leaving themselves open to identity theft because they are failing to face up to the reality of the problem.

That is according to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), which says that all of us need to change our behaviour if we want to protect our finances from con artists.

The ICO has published a guide to help us avoid becoming a victim and it comes on the back of the release of some alarming data.

CIFAS, the UK fraud protection unit, has revealed that the number of ID theft cases rose by 19.91 per cent between 2005 and 2006, while one-in-five Brits think they may have already been targeted.

It is possible for thieves to pretend to be another person by stealing items such as bank documents and credit card statements. This information can then be used to open bank accounts and take out loans in their victim’s name.

“We are living in an age where protecting your personal information has never been so important,” said David Smith, from the ICO.

“Almost every day we give out our personal details which can leave us open to identity theft, unwanted marketing and a loss of privacy.”

The ICO guide tells us to keep all personal documents safe and ensure that mail is redirected when moving home. It also says to make sure your home computer is secure before going online and to never give out secret passwords or pin numbers.

We should also check our credit card and bank statements regularly to see if any unfamiliar transactions have taken place and the most important piece of advice is to shred all unwanted personal documents.

Related Posts

Credit card customers urged to check statements

UK payments association Apacs has urged credit card customers to check their statements carefully, as many people are currently guilty of not doing so.According to research by the group, nearly half of all credit card

MP claims that banks are too laid back about ID theft

A Tory Party MP has claimed that banks in the UK are far too laid back when it comes to the problems of identity theft – a problem that is growing in the UK and

Identity theft victims older than fraudsters

Consumers who are victims of identity theft are older than the fraudsters they are conned by, shows new research. Findings from CIFAS, the UK's Fraud Prevention Service, revealed that males in their 40s are the

More consumers concerned about safety of personal details

More consumers are concerned about the safety and security of their personal details than ever before, an information body has claimed. The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) said this fear of identity theft is driven by

Fraud warning not being heeded

Millions of credit card holders in the UK are leaving themselves open to fraud.Despite continual warnings about the dangers of identity theft, many people are not heeding the advice, says Morgan Stanley Consumer Banking.The most

Brits don’t know how to detect ID theft

Almost all of us are aware that ID theft is a problem in the UK but worryingly, 42 million of us do not know how to check if we have been targeted.New research by Capital

What Are Offshore Bank Accounts?

When someone mentions offshore banking or investments often people immediately think of shady dealings from James Bond films where the rich billionaire baddy stashes his cash overseas to avoid paying UK tax. Are offshore accounts

‘Viligence’ advised to avoid identity theft

Consumers are advised to exercise "vigilance" in face of identity theft risk, rather than rushing to buy insurance.An industry expert has said that after news that the personal information relating to 25 million people in