Keep yourself to yourself - How to beat identity fraud1
12/10/2009

Your personal information is valuable and needs to be protected against identity thieves who seek to steal such information.

Banks invest millions of pounds each year to protect your accounts from criminal activities. But you should also take care to protect your own identity. This leaflet offers some simple precautions you can take to make the criminal's job harder and to help spare you considerable inconvenience, such as problems getting loans, credit cards or a mortgage not to mention possible financial loss if you fall prey to identity theft.

Prove who you are

Banks and other institutions are required by law to see proof of your identity before they can open an account. Providers of credit facilities will similarly need to prove that you are really who you say you are.

Occasionally, criminals try to take on someone else's identity using forged documentation. They will attempt to use this to apply for credit which is then used for fraudulent purposes. If they are successful, it could lead to an innocent person having an adverse credit register entry listed against them.

If you have been the victim of this type of fraud (or attempted fraud) you can apply to CIFAS, the UK's Fraud Prevention Service, for a Protective Registration to be placed at the address protecting the address from further misuse.

Look after sensitive information - and be careful what you bin!

Lock away important documents in a lockable drawer or cabinet at home.

Check through bank and credit card statements carefully as soon as they arrive. Contact the company concerned immediately if you see any transactions you dont recognise.

Never bin entire bank statements, bills, receipts or other documents containing personal details including your name, address or account details. Once they go out with the rubbish theyre easy game for identity thieves.

Shred all important documents before disposing of them.

Be wary of publishing any identifying information about yourself on social networking websites such as Facebook - particularly things like your phone number, address, birthday or full name.

When using the internet, make sure your browser is set to the highest level of security. Clear your browser's cache when you exit and if your browser has the ability to remember passwords and user names, consider disabling this function.

Never store your password on your computer's hard disk and consider setting up separate access accounts if your computer supports this.

Always switch off your computer completely when you have finished using it and take care not to open unusual email attachments.

Keep an eye on your mail

Keep track of whether you are receiving regular statements, bills and other important mail. If you think important mail is not getting to you, contact Royal Mail on 08457 740 740. Identity thieves could be redirecting your mail to another address, or stealing it before it gets to you. Be especially careful if other people could have access to your mail where you live.

If you are moving house, even temporarily, make sure you advise your bank. Correspondence from your bank could contain details about your account or items of value such as plastic cards that can be used by identity thieves. Ask Royal Mail to redirect all mail from your old address to your new one for at least a year.

Advise your bank and credit card issuer of any changes in telephone number too. They may need to contact you urgently, such as to check details of an unusual credit card transaction as a fraud prevention measure.

Look after your plastic

Keep your card in sight at all times when making purchases.

Make sure no one can hear or see when you provide card details or personal information over the phone or internet.

Never write down your PIN in a recognisable form. Even if it is disguised, never keep it in the same place as your card.

Keep a separate note of your card issuers' emergency contact numbers and your card number in case of loss or theft.

If you suspect that your cheque book or card has been lost or stolen or that someone else knows your PIN, telephone your bank straight away so that they can place a "stop" on further transactions.

Beware if you are asked for personal information

Never give out personal or account details to anyone who contacts you unexpectedly.

When telephone banking, always use the published telephone number and only give your bank the security details requested. Never divulge your password to anyone else.

Unless you are absolutely sure that it really is your bank telephoning you, never divulge any details of your bank account. Take a note of the person's name and a telephone number, saying that you will telephone them back. Then return the call using a published contact number for the bank.

Bank staff should never ask for PIN details and such calls should be treated as be fraudulent.

Beware of emails purporting to be from your bank, asking for you to update personal information, such as passwords and credit card, and bank account numbers that the legitimate organisation already has. These will often redirect you to a replica of your banks website. Such websites are set up to steal the users information. Your bank will NEVER email you to ask for sensitive information in this way.

Report any such emails to your bank immediately.

To check if you have been affected by identity fraudsters, get a copy of your personal credit file from a credit reference agency to see which financial organisations have accessed your details. If you find entries relating to organisations you do not normally deal with, contact them immediately.

For further details, the three credit reference agencies can be found from the website links below.

For further advice on how to stay safe when shopping, banking or doing business online, and how to protect personal details on your computer, go to Bank Safe Online - see link below.

Related Links
Call Credit website (External Link)
Equifax website (External Link)
Experian website (External Link)
Bank Safe Online website (External Link)