How to avoid Identity Theft

zincoxide

I have seen on various chat boards that there are many people having problems with Identity Theft & Credit Card fraud. Working within the industry to try and protect consumers (not police, a corporate manager), I thought I'd post the top tips on how to avoid this:

1. Easy to start of with - When using your Credit/Debit cards at ATM's, always ensure the ATM looks ok (there is nothing attached) and always cover up your pin number by putting your spare hand over the hand entering the pin number.

2. Dispose of ATM receipts, do not leave them lying next to the machine

3. Destory every last piece of paper that has your name and address on it before putting it in the bin, in order to commit identity theft, all a thief needs is your name & address - invest in a good cross shredder or at least, tear up the paper, run it under the tap for a minute and turn it into a ball of paper mache!

4. Try to pay all your bills by Direct Debit - You have the direct debit guarantedd then that any false payments will be refunded and you will get less paper bills.

5. Never give any of your details to a company you have never heard of, there are many companies offering cheap goods, but unless you've heard of them don't go near them, it could be a front for a criminal organisation.

6. If buying good on credit, you will be asked to provide proof of identity and the sales man will copy these which is standard practice. Watch the sales man copy them, if he copies your credit or debit card, he only needs the signature, not the full number so ensure he only copies the back!! Sounds simple, but always make sure you get your proof of ID back, even if it is just an old utility bill - it still contains the info anyone needs to be you!

7. Never ever respond to any emails asking you to enter your bank details or to any emails that appear to be from your bank/ebay/reputable company. If they need to update your details, it will tell you when you log into their genuine web sites.

8. Invest in a home safe, they can be bought from as little as £25 from places such as Screwfix.com, they fix to the floor and the mnore expensive models can even protect against fire. Keep all your documents in this safe, especially passport, drivers licence, bank statement, insurance documents. this will protect you if your house is broken into.

9. Do not leave letters sitting in your car, it has windows and thieves have eyes so they only need to look in to get your name & address!

10. If you find you have been a victim, contact the police immediately to report the crime. Then contact your bank/building society and get a new card, tell them to stop your account and transfer you to a new account with new details. Also worthwhile signing up to get Credit Reports from Equifax or Experian, this will show all credit applications made in your name and any black spots against you - you have a right to challenge these - and you can see if someone has applied for credit using your details!

This list is certainly not exhaustive and common sense should prevail, just one slip by you could mean a life of luxury for many thieves!!

There are many suspects in these incidents and include:
1. Housemates

2. Tenants if you are a landlord and have your mail sent to your tenants address

3. If you sell your house, ensure you get royal mail to redirect all your mail as the new owner could gain access to your details

4. Postmen - expecting something important and it fails to arrive, if the company claims to have sent it then report this to royal mail, they may already be investigating similar incidents in your area

5. Gangs - The most advanced of all crooks, they could include retail/leisure employees who could try to obtain your card details, IT wizards, fraudsters, drug runners, junkies that need the money etc.

6. Terrorists - Again, an advanced group who know who to target and how to avoid getting caught!

By doing just a little to help stop these crimes then you will be attributing to providing security for everyone as crooks will have less money to fund their next scam/attack.

If you want any further advice or have been a victim and struggling to get help, send me a PM and I'll put you in the right direction.

zincoxide

Oh, FYI: 75% of UK councils will readily admit that bin-raiding takes place in their area.

Davidboy

One thing I also do now, when I went for a meal at a Beefeater with family the other day, before I used to just put my cc on the tray and let them take it to be swiped... not anymore. I said to the waitress I am comming with you to swipe the card, so I could watch it being done. She was happy to oblige. Not that I am saying Beefeater have dodgy waitresses, but anywhere now I will not let my cc out of my sight.

Yes I know Beefeater aint very exciting, but daughters choice cos she passed her A levels. It aint arf gone down hill, food was pretty Cr*p.

D

jessielicious

Has anyone heard about this scheme where you set up a password, and any time someone tries to apply for credit in your name, the credit reference agency will require the password? A friend of mine was phoned by his bank who offered to set this up for £50 for the year! The service actually costs £10 according to the Police, but why should we be paying for this anyway? Why should credit refernce agencies be able to charge us because they aren't protecting our details properly? Surely that's part of their job?

Fatboy_NSS

jessielicious wrote:

Has anyone heard about this scheme where you set up a password, and any time someone tries to apply for credit in your name, the credit reference agency will require the password? A friend of mine was phoned by his bank who offered to set this up for £50 for the year! The service actually costs £10 according to the Police, but why should we be paying for this anyway? Why should credit refernce agencies be able to charge us because they aren't protecting our details properly? Surely that's part of their job?

This doesn't sound right. I have to check customers' credit references every day and would have been told by my head office if there was a possibility of being asked for a password. I'd advise your friend to report this to his bank, and I can only assume the police thought you meant card protection plan.