ID theft avoidance guide
February 6, 2007 by admin
Filed under News, News-Banking
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.
