Protecting Our Identity

Identity theft – also known as ID theft, identity fraud and ID fraud – describes a type of fraud where a criminal adopts someone else’s identity in order to profit illegally. It is one of the fastest growing forms of fraud in many developed countries.

In the UK identity theft is increasing at the rate of 500% each year and, according to Which Magazine, 25% of the population have either suffered from identity theft or know someone who has.

In the USA, a report issued by the Better Business Bureau revealed that, in 2004, over 9 million Americans became victims of identity theft with the total sum defrauded being estimated at $52.6 billion.

With figures like this, it’s no surprise that there is a certain amount of concern regarding computer and internet security. After all, the internet is basically a mechanism for exchanging information and the possibility that some of the information exchanged may be more than intended is never far from many internet user’s minds.

It’s easy to imagine criminal masterminds worldwide using the internet to hack into computers in order to gain access to information with which to advance their devilishly cunning schemes. However, as revealed in the report, the facts of the matter are a little more down to earth and the internet, far from making you more at risk to identity theft, can help to significantly cut your losses if you do fall victim this form of fraud.

According to the Better Business Bureau’s research the main methods by which criminals gain access to information used for identity theft fraud are as below:

Lost or stolen wallet, chequebook or credit card. 28.8%

Accessed as part of a transaction. 12.9%*

Accessed by friend, acquaintance or relative. 11.4%

Don’t know, refused, no answer. 11.1%

Information accessed by corrupt employee. 8.7%

Stolen paper mail or fraudulent change of address. 8.0%

Obtained some other way. 7.4%

Computer spyware. 5.2%

Information stolen from garbage. 2.6%

Computer viruses and/or hackers. 2.2%

Emails sent by criminals posing as legitimate business. 1.7%

* 12.9% due to transactions – 10.4% offline transactions, 2.5% online transactions.

In total, when the instances where information was accessed during transactions are subdivided into online and offline transactions, only 11.6% of the information used to carry out identity theft fraud was obtained from computers.

Of this more than half was obtained by the use of spyware, viruses or hacking – the risk of which can be greatly reduced by installing the appropriate protection software and ensuring that this is kept up to date.

Not only did the survey reveal that the internet was not a major source of illegally obtained personal information, but it was also found that those fraud victims who checked their financial records using the internet, ATM machines or other electronic methods suffered financial losses which were, on average, 8 times lower than those of victims who used traditional paper statements to monitor their accounts. This very significant reduction was attributed to the rapid discovery of the fraud due to “real time” monitoring.

Of course, that’s not to say that you shouldn’t exercise caution when using the internet or take care to protect the personal information which you may have stored on your PC. However, as long as you install suitable virus, firewall and spyware protection, and keep this continually updated the internet can should be more of a help than a hindrance when it comes to avoiding identity fraud.



By: Kavita

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Your identity is extremely valuable. You need it to prove who you are for various purposes in your day-to-day life, such as opening a bank account, obtaining a loan, getting a credit card, purchasing goods or services, applying for a passport or driving licence, or claiming benefits. If a criminal gets hold of your personal details, they can do exactly the same things in your name without your knowledge. And it’s not rare for this to happen - the problem of identity theft is increasing all the time and the Home Office estimates that it costs the UK economy £1.7 billion a year.

It’s therefore extremely important to keep your personal information safe. There are lots of things you can do to protect yourself from identity fraud. This practical factsheet provides some useful tips and information on how to do this.

Ways in which your identity might be stolen

A house burglary in which personal documents are stolen.

Handbag or wallet theft.

Fraudulent internet or phone banking scams in which you inadvertently give out personal details to fraudsters in the belief that you are being contacted by a legitimate organisation such as your own bank.

Post in your name being delivered to a previous address of yours and used to commit fraud in your name.

Having your post stolen or redirected without your permission.

Internal systems fraud - for example, payroll data from employees of the Government Tax Credit Office was stolen in 2005 and their details used to falsely claim benefits.

Criminals raking through your rubbish to find personal information.

How will you know when your identity has been stolen?

Often people first find out about it when they are refused credit because their credit rating has dropped.

You’re not receiving any post at all, or key documents or letters you have been expecting do not arrive.

You receive bills or invoices for goods that you didn’t purchase.

There are some transactions on your bank account that you don’t recognise.

You have received solicitors letters or letters from debt collectors that have nothing to do with you.

You apply for benefits and are told that you are already claiming.

You receive correspondence from a government agency demanding repayment of benefits when you have never claimed anything in the first place.

Who loses out?

You - your credit rating could be damaged and you might find it difficult to obtain credit in the future. You will also have to prove to the organisations demanding payment from you that you are not responsible for them.

The government - the public purse suffers from billions of pounds worth of fraudulent tax and benefit claims every year.

Financial organisations - the companies with whom your details have been falsely used to obtain money may never be able to recover what was stolen in your name.

How to protect yourself against identity fraud

Don’t throw anything containing your name and address and/or other personal details into the bin without shredding it first. This includes bills, bank statements, benefits statements, receipts and even unwanted post and junk mail.

Always let your bank and other organisations of which you are a customer know when you move house.

Don’t use your mother’s maiden name as a security password.

Check your credit rating with each of the three UK credit agencies at least once a year. (These are Experian, Equifax and Call Credit.)

Don’t use the same password for all accounts.

If you’re worried that someone else could easily intercept your post, arrange to collect important items rather than have them posted to you, e.g. credit cards or cheque books from your bank.

Cancel stolen credit cards immediately.

Contact the DVLA or the Passport Agency immediately if your driving licence or passport have been stolen.

Don’t give out your credit card numbers or other personal information over the phone if people nearby could overhear.

Check your bank and other financial statements regularly to check for suspicious transactions.

If you receive a phone call or email from what seems to be a legitimate organisation requesting personal details, check it’s genuine before proceeding. The best approach is to take their phone number and call them back. Banks will never ask you for your PIN or login details for their banking system.

Ensure your computer is safe for making online transactions - get anti-virus software and a good firewall for protection, and only ever enter personal details onto secure sites (with the prefix https in the address).

What to do if your identity has been stolen

Contact the organisations with whom the fraud has been committed to explain what has happened.

Inform the police.

Get in touch with the Royal Mail if you suspect your mail has been intercepted.

Contact CIFAS, the UK’s fraud protection agency, and register with their protection service to help prevent future fraud.

Get credit reports from the three credit checking agencies to identify exactly what has been done in your name.



By: Benedict Rohan

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Identity theft is a very serious crime; if you’re a victim of this crime it may have serious consequences. It could mean difficulty in clearing your credit records, getting into debt, losing a lot of money and even getting in trouble with the law. You will also have difficulty obtaining new jobs or apartments. This is because employers and landlords usually check the credit records of their applicants.

This crime occurs when a thief gets information about your credit card numbers, name, address, social security number, and other personal information that should be kept confidential.

After they obtain your personal information, they will usually make purchases, open bank accounts, apply for loans, apply for new credit cards, get government benefits, and forge checks in your name.

If you’re a victim, there are ways to solve this problem;

You can report the crime to concerned authorities and you can apply for identity theft insurance.

Many companies are offering insurance for people to protect their personal information. You can apply for this insurance as an option for homeowner’s insurance policy. However, having identity theft insurance does not prevent identity theft; it will only help you recover if in any case you have been a victim of this crime.

People who become victims of identity theft or identity fraud usually do not figure out how their personal information was acquired by the thief. So, it is wise that you should be careful about your personal information.

The best way to prevent this crime is to be careful with your personal information. You first have to know how criminals obtain your personal information.

Thieves obtain personal information in many simple ways. Here are some examples:

• By stealing your wallet containing credit cards, and other personal information.

• By going through your garbage for items containing personal information.

• By providing personal information online through email or registration based websites.

• By pretending to be a new creditor to obtain your credit report.

• By eavesdropping on your phone calls or looking over your shoulder as you use your personal information.

• By promising prizes or awards by contacting you by email that would require you to provide personal and financial information.

Here are some transactions that also create risk:

• Online banking

• Online purchases

• Storing personal information in your computer

• Using your social security information for identification purposes.

However, this does not necessarily mean that you should avoid these transactions. It means that you should be careful when giving away your personal and financial information.

Being conscious on how you use your personal and financial information can prevent completion of identity theft.

Here are some tips for safeguarding your personal and financial information:

• Memorize your social security number

• Memorize your PIN numbers

• Don’t use easy to guess passwords, like your birthday or your mother’s maiden name

• Secure your computer by using firewall software and always update your computer security to safeguard your computer from spywares.

• Confirm if the website URL that is requesting your personal information is authentic or legitimate.

• Beware of emails, especially with attachments, belonging to someone you don’t know. Emails like these contain viruses or spywares that can easily be installed in your computer and can send your personal information stored in your computer to thieves.

• Websites that ask for personal information should be secure. A secured website usually has URL that starts with “https://” with the “s” meaning secured.

• Beware of telephone inquiries asking you to give your personal information, unless you contacted them.

• If you have lost your credit card, report it immediately to concerned authorities. It could have been stolen by identity thieves.

• Get your mails as soon as it is delivered.

• Do not discard bank, credit card or any other transaction receipts in public areas. Someone might obtain these information by dumpster diving.

These are some of the ways to safeguard your personal information. It is important that you should be aware of what you do to items containing your personal and financial information. Practicing these methods will surely minimize the risk of becoming a victim of identity theft.

Perforate or shred important documents containing personal information such as old credit cards, used checks and identity cards. You’ll never know when they would fall into wrong hands.

If you suspect that something is wrong, report it immediately to the authorities. Be sure that you have proof that you have reported such incident by keeping it in black and white. (Hard Copy)

For more information on Identity Theft Click Here



By: Lucas Heijn

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Protect your kids from the risks associated with identity theft. Children often fall prey to identity fraud, and the numbers of young victims grows every year, according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). There are several simple tips you can use to protect kids from identity theft.

Why Kids Are Targeted by Identity Thieves

Kids are easy targets for identity thieves. By law, children can’t apply for credit cards, loans or other lines of credit until they are 18. That gives identity thieves many opportunities to steal a child’s identity and use it freely to open lines of credit. In addition to random strangers stealing a child’s identity, unfortunately, unscrupulous family members also often target them.

Children Feel Effects of Identity Theft When They Venture Out in the World

Children who are identity theft victims feel the pain inflicted by the crime when they try to establish a credit history. Applying for a loan or a credit card, children and their families are often shocked to learn that their child has a poor credit history, even though they’ve never had a line of credit. A poor credit score can prevent kids from getting the jobs they want, obtaining credit cards, loans and more. Although justice is on their side, it can take years to clean up a lifetime of identity theft.

Protect Your Kids from Becoming a Victim of Identity Theft

Adults can protect kids from identity theft by taking a few safety precautions. Shredding paperwork from doctors and other entities that list a child’s Social Security number or date of birth can help protect children from identity fraud. Credit card and loan offers that arrive in the mail addressed to children should be addressed with the company sending the offer, so they know that they are sending items to minor children. Social Security cards and other personal information about children should be safely stored to avoid the risk of identity fraud.

Children Identity Fraud Repair: What to Do if the Worst Should Happen

If a child becomes a victim of identity fraud, there are a few things you can do to help them repair their credit history and regain their identity. Their Social Security number should be changed and a police report should be filed immediately. Credit card companies, lenders and collections agencies associated with the phony identity should be notified immediately about the identity theft.

Reduce the risk of identity theft with credit monitoring . Credit monitoring provides an added layer of protection against identity fraud with up to date information about credit scores and details of unusual activities on a credit report.



By: Lisa Nichols

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