Preventing Identity Theft and Deception

When Keeley Hawes read the first scripts for ITV drama series, Identity, some of the plots were strangely familiar. The show centres on a police squad investigating identity theft and fraud – and Keeley already knew the way the victims of this fast-growing crime feel.

“I have been a victim myself, so the stories weren’t so much of a shock,” says the actress, who is most commonly known for Spooks and Ashes to Ashes. “It was simply someone that worked in my house, came and took my credit cards and spent £7,000.”

And she’s far from the only sufferer. Last year, Experian’s Victims of Fraud service saw a 20 % rise in the number of people impersonated by criminals to max out their credit, clear accounts or borrow money in their names – or all three. Meanwhile, CIFAS, the UK’s fraud prevention service, reported a 22.86 per cent rise in victims of identity theft and fraud in the first quarter of 2010, with almost 27,000 people affected.

These Ten simple steps will prevent Identity Theft and Fraud

Keep valuable items and documents, like credit cards, cheque book, passport and bank statements, safe when you’re not using them – preferably under lock and key.

Shred sensitive documents before throwing them out, especially bank and card statements or anything giving account data. Get into the habit of deleting your name and address from routine post too – doing this, you won’t let anything slip through and you will be preventing identity theft.

Don’t give your ID away to cold callers or unsolicited e-mailers – you don’t know what they might do with private data.

Check all financial statements carefully, looking for unfamiliar transactions that could indicate ID fraud.

The Home Office recommends checking your credit report regularly. It lists your credit accounts, repayment history and any new applications – if you spot anything suspicious, you can stop trouble before it escalates. It’s free to see your Experian credit report with a 30-day trial of CreditExpert.

Always use the privacy settings on social networks and be careful how much you tell your online friends. Anything you might use as a PIN or password, such as an anniversary, family birthday or nickname, mustn\’t be public. And remember to update your firewall and virus protection software.

Redirect your post when you move house – intercepting post is an easy way to steal your identity. Report any missing mail immediately to prevent identity theft, in case it has been taken or sent on to another address.

Never share your PINs or passwords and don’t write them down in a form that anyone else might see and understand. Don’t utilize the same security details for several accounts, either – it’s like giving a crook the key to your finances.

Follow up if you’re unexpectedly refused credit – a criminal could have ruined your credit rating by accumulating debts in your name.

Tell the police and any organisation that might be affected if potentially hypersensitive items are stolen – for example, tell your bank if your cheque book has gone missing and contact your card company if your credit card disappears.

Conclusion to Identity Theft and Fraud

Should the ten simple steps are to much for you to do at once then start by following a few steps and then slow increase until you have covered all the steps that you can. Identity theft is no joke and ought to be taken seriously as identity theft can ruin your life until you have proven that it has happened an that you are the victim.

Author and Publisher Mark Aucamp has been delivering researched articles and Money Saving Ideas and information to for several years. Mark is an expert in providing MONEY ADVICE and information about IDENTITY THEFT to the readership at http://moneysavingtips.net

Writer and Publisher Mark Aucamp has been supplying articles and information to Money Saving Tips for many years. Mark specialises in providing Money Advice and researched information about IDENTITY THEFT to the visitors at http://moneysavingtips.net

Author Bio: Author and Publisher Mark Aucamp has been delivering researched articles and Money Saving Ideas and information to for several years. Mark is an expert in providing MONEY ADVICE and information about IDENTITY THEFT to the readership at http://moneysavingtips.net

Category: Legal
Keywords: identity theft, creditExpert, experian credit report, fraud prevention, ID theft, identity fraud, id