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Identity fraud on the rise
18 October 2006
Identity fraud is one of the UK's fastest growing crimes and in response,
a campaign to prevent it has been launched.
National Identity Fraud Prevention Week kicks off for the first time
this week and it aims to make the public aware of the various scams and
ways in which they can protect themselves from theft and fraud.
Identity theft tends to occur when criminals find out personal details
like dates of birth, addresses and passwords, and use them to open bank
accounts, get credit cards, loans, and important documents like passports
and driving licences.
In the UK, a quarter of the population has been a victim of identity
fraud, or know somebody who has been.
Dave Miller, Director of Sales and Marketing at Secure Mail Services
(SMS), points out that SMS makes a major contibution to the prevention
of identity theft:
He commented: "Our proprietary processes ensure that critical identity
documents such as passports don't fall into the hands of criminals who
could use them as the foundation for identity theft. Also, if a person's
identity is compromised, we have systems that help prevent the identity
theft developing into financial fraud."
According to information analysts, Experian, it takes 467 days for a
person to discover they are a victim of identity fraud.
Lincolnshire Police, who are supporting the campaign are urging people
to be on their guard to help spot fraudulent activity earlier.
Sergeant Andy Lockyer said: "Be on the look out for items that appear
on your bank or credit card statements that you do not recognise. You
may also receive bills, invoices or receipts for goods or services that
you haven't asked for.
"You may apply for state benefits and are told that you are already
claiming, or you may receive letters from solicitors or debt collectors
for debts that aren't yours. Another indicator that you may be a victim
of Identity Fraud is where you are refused loans and applications for
credit cards even though you have a good credit history."
National Identity Fraud Prevention Week runs from the 16th - 22nd October
2006.
Did You Know
* 77% of household waste contained at least one or more items which could
assist fraudsters in stealing an identity?
* Two thirds of the UK population are concerned that they may be at risk?
* Personal information such as your date of birth, address, mother's
maiden name and passwords are now as valuable as money?
* According to a recent survey, people fear identity fraud more than
burglary, mugging or pickpocketing?
* A friend, ex-partner or old flatmate is just as likely to steal an
identity as a stranger is? Over a quarter of victims of fraud say that
they knew the person who committed the fraud.
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