Guard Against Identity Theft - National Identity Fraud Prevention Week
Four out of five people say they are concerned about the growing threat of identity theft, but many are not taking enough care to avoid it.
In 2006, there were 80,000 recorded cases, according to fraud prevention service CIFAS. This is the third annual National Identity Fraud Prevention week, but there are still many people unaware of how their identity could be stolen and what impact it could have on their lives.
A recent experiment revealed how easy it was to get people to part with details. For the offer of free theatre tickets, or the request for personal details for a 'theatre database' people were surprisingly willing to give details.
It seems that the lure of a good offer proved too tempting for many people, who parted with their name, address, and birth details easily. Even more worryingly they were also willing to give their credit card number as well - all that an identity thief would need to go on a spending spree.
Organisations such as the Metropolitan Police, Fellowes, CIFAS, and Revenue & Customs, support National Identity Fraud Prevention Week, who say that three-quarters of adults have either been victims of identity fraud or know friends or family who have been.
Four in ten households are still throwing away information that thieves can use to steal an identity, according to Fellowes, an office supplies firm who provides shredding machines.
The trouble is, we never think it will happen to us despite it being often in the news. ID theft relies upon our innocence and belief that we are always safe. The Internet is full of con artists selling our personal details to others and once your name has been passed on, problems can multiply because it can be sold again and again. It is worrying to learn that many bona fide companies to whom you have given your details have had lapses in security and they may not have told you about them. You might be a victim of ID theft without even knowing about it.
If you do find yourself a victim, it will take time and money to put it right and on some occasions, the problems cannot be reversed. A good credit rating can be erased in moments by ID fraud - and that would be a very sad circumstance in today's credit climate. Victims can be prevented from performing everyday acts like opening a bank account, getting a mortgage, even getting a job.
Prevention is better than cure but unfortunately, there is not much in place to help us. There is some ID theft monitoring, but only after the event has occurred. We are all vulnerable to this type of theft and unless we do something about it, it is equivalent to leaving your front door open, inviting criminals in!
We should take identity theft very seriously. It is now time to take the initiative and start to stand guard on our identities, insuring that we are not easy targets for modern day criminals.
One simple piece of advice though: don’t make it easy for the criminals. Take care to destroy pieces of mail, or other documents, that may help criminals steal your identity.
Published on October 13, 2007
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