Avoid ID Fraud
A quarter of UK adults have had their identity stolen or know somebody who's been a victim of ID fraud, says a new survey from Which?
Identity fraud, one of the fastest-growing crimes in the UK, costs the country an estimated £1.3 billion a year according to a 2002 Government survey and is a cause of concern to two thirds of people.
A Which? researcher managed to 'steal' editor Malcolm Coles' identity with relative ease. He got hold of his birth certificate, his mother's maiden name, place of birth, mortgage value, a plan of where his flat is on his street, medical data and details of his shopping habits – even how often he visited the gym. An attempt to access his credit card account using this information was only foiled by the fact that Malcolm hadn't got round to telling his bank he'd moved.
Malcolm Coles, editor, Which?, says that he couldn't believe how easy it was for someone else to assume his identity.
"Sitting on my desk was a folder with my birth certificate, a print-out of how often I went to the gym and my mortgage details. If this is what an amateur can do, imagine how easy it is for an experienced criminal," he told 50 Connect.
ID thieves gain access to bank accounts to steal money, run up bills, launder money or carry out benefit fraud. Internet scams include spam emails containing viruses that access information on peoples' computers, and emails that look like bank correspondence asking people to 'confirm' their security details.
Offline, thieves make bogus phone calls from 'banks' requesting security details to check suspected fraud, read credit card strips to clone cards or shop online, and even raid bins for sensitive documents - armed with some details, it's easier to get more.
People don't necessarily think ID cards are the answer to the problem, though. While the government claims that around 80 per cent of the public is in favour of them, Which? found 70 per cent of people in favour of a compulsory scheme. This support dropped to just 31 per cent when they were told about the £35 fee, with 54 per cent opposed.
"Even a simple step taken by industry to stop accepting mother's maiden name and place of birth as default passwords would be a good start, as it's too easy for fraudsters to get hold of this basic information, which is where the process of stealing an identify begins," says Malcolm Coles.
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