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protect your identity from fraud

False identity fraud is the fastest growing type of fraud in the UK. Fraudsters steal your identity – your name, date of birth along with your current or previous address and then use them to set up bank accounts or to buy goods and services in your name.

Almost any details are useful to a fraudster so they can build up a profile of you, they may use details from your bank account, credit card, debit card, passport, driving license, birth certificate and even utility bills.

Since 1994 Money Laundering Regulations became law which meant that all financial companies must have checks in place to ensure that they ‘know their customer’, this means you have to produce photo identification to prove who you are and give evidence of where you live. The aim of these regulations were to stop criminals using accounts to clean their money.

You can protect your identity in a number of ways.

Keeping your documents safe.

Burgulars and muggers are interested in your personal papers and documents which they can use to impersonate you. Once they have your name and address details of where you bank they can fraudulently redirect any letters from your bank to another address and use your details to open a new account.

So don’t just throw away any documents you would not want someone else to get hold of. The best thing to do is to shred or burn the documents. The best type of shredder is a cross cut shredder as they will shred the document into smaller pieces than a strip cut shredder.

Also be wary when entering your pin numbers into cash machines, it is always best to place one of your hands over the keypad so no-one can see your pin number.

There are also bogus street canvassers who may stop you in the street to ask you for your details or you may receive a bogus letter or fax saying you have won something which then ask for your personal details, don’t give your details to these people.

Internet Phishing

Phishing is exclusive to the internet and it is where online fraudsters send emails at random that seem to come from a reputable online bank or business in an attempt to trick you into disclosing your personal account details on an internet site which may look like the original companies site but it is really just a copy of the original and has been setup by the fraudster in order to get your details.

 

Although your bank may contact you by email, it would never ask you to reconfirm your log in or security details by clicking on a link in an email.

Some practical steps.

If you do not want to receive Junk Mail through the post or telephone calls, then you will need to contact the Mailing Preference Service and the Telephone Preference Service.

The Mailing Preference Service (MPS) is funded by the direct mail industry to enable consumers to have their names and home addresses in the UK removed from or added to lists used by the industry.

The Telephone Preference Service (TPS) helps you to make sure your telephone number is no longer available to organisations who may telephone you with offers and information you may not want to receive.

It could also be a good idea to check your credit history with a credit reference agency. Access to details on your file cost from £2 and are available from three main credit agencies Experian, Equifax and CallCredit.

Your report will show your credit commitments, your credit history and importantly any recent applications and credit searches carried out when you apply for a card. If you spot any accounts or applications you did not make on your credit report then contact the card issuer straight away to tell them what has happened and the credit reference agency to request that they remove the data from your credit file.

If you want to check your credit score then you could contact CheckMyFile, who can provide you with a free credit score report onilne. CheckMyFile also have a free identity health check which will tell you how prone you may be to having your identity stolen.

How To Avoid becoming a victim.

Keep your identity and account details safe and do not give them to anyone unless you are sure of who they are.

Do not give out any details of your date of birth, mother’s maiden name, PIN number, security password, or bank account number to anyone contacting you by telephone, fax, post or email – your bank should never contact you to verify these details.

Destroy documents showing your name and address and other details before throwing them away, this includes bills, receipts, credit and debit statements, bank statements, bank slips, credit card cheques and even unwanted post in your name. Either burn the documents or shred them.

Don’t let your plastic cards out of your sight when paying for goods.

Avoid signing up for junk mail as this may result in you receiving pre-filled application forms being sent to you long after you have left the address.

If you do move house then tell your bank, credit card company and all other organisations you deal with as soon as possible.

On your computer delete unsolicited e-mail attachments, and install good anti-virus software such as McAfee or Norton, or the free Avast software. It is also important to install a good firewall and a spam filter on your computer, and also log out of any sites when you have finished using them.

Be extra careful if you use a shared computer such as an internet cafe computer to do your banking, after use you should either clear out the history on the computer via the browser and clear out the cookies on the machine, or the best thing to do is to change your password next time you sign on.

Related Sites of Interest

First Direct
Alliance and Leicester Premier Direct Current Account
Lloyds TSB Current Account
Smile Current Account